Boxer
Boxing is a sport that’s especially close to the hearts of Filipinos, thanks to the trail blazed by Manny Pacquiao. In the steps of fighter-turned-politician a new generation of Filipino athletes is stepping up to the ring. Among them is Eumir Marcial, who in August 2021, took home a bronze medal for middleweight boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Along with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and fellow boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, Marcial was one of four Filipinos to return home as medallists from those games.
While Olympian-medallist is certainly his most prestigious title, Marcial had already established a decorated career even prior to the Tokyo Games. Ten years earlier, at age 16, he won the International Boxing Association Junior World Championships. He then went on to represent the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games of 2015, 2017, and 2019, taking home a gold medal each time. He also won a silver medal at the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships. He had long contemplated a professional career, but decided to prioritise his Olympic bid, as part of a promise he made to his father.
Awards
2011
International Boxing Association Junior World Championships Gold Medal (Bantamweight Division)
2013
Asian Boxing Confederation Best Asian Youth Boxer of the Year
2015
Southeast Asian Games, Gold Medal (Boxing, Welterweight Division)
2017
Southeast Asian Games, Gold Medal (Boxing, Middleweight Division)
2019
Southeast Asian Games, Gold Medal (Boxing, Middleweight Division)
2019
AIBA World Boxing Championships, Silver Medal (Middleweight Division)
2020
Tokyo Summer Olympics, Bronze Medal (Boxing, Middleweight Division)
Did You Know?
Eumir Marcial is a sergeant of the Philippine Air Force.