Eumir Marcial

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.