Philippines’ best male boxer Eumir Felix Marcial – I worked hard every single training to get a spot for the Tokyo Olympic Games

Philippines earned two quota places for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games through the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Amman and some of their top boxers are still waiting for their second chance to get their spots. Philippines’ best male boxer AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Eumir Felix Marcial won the gold medal at the middleweight (75kg) with amazing performance.

Marcial won the gold medal at the Astana 2011 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships and at the 2013 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships. He joined to the elite national team in 2014 and achieved silver at the Bangkok 2015 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships. Marcial could not qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games due to his hand injury in the Qualification Event four years ago but in Amman he defeated all of his main rivals.

 “To qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games means a lot for me especially for my father. I have been dreaming for the Olympic Games since I was 7-year-old. It was mine and my father’s dream and of course I worked hard every single training to get a sport for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

It is a priceless feeling, and I can’t even explain how I feel. It is both honour and privilege to represent my beloved country because not everyone can have this opportunity that is why I feel so happy and grateful. As an athlete it is the highest attainment you will ever have and it is the dream of all athlete in the world. Being called as an Olympian, it is such a big achievement for me.

Honestly, I don’t really have much tactics aside from listening to my coaches and simply it is my heart and my will to win every single fight during the events. The moment I arrived in Amman, Jordan I felt the pressure from the fans who was expecting so much from me.

The worst pressure was within myself because I was thinking what if I will fail again to get a spot for the Olympics and then I need to wait for another four years. My father will be too old for me to bring him in the Olympic Games and I don’t want to feel the same pain I felt way back in the 2016 Qualification Tournament when I failed to get the quota for Rio.

Everyone trained well for the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event, they all wanted to get a spot for Tokyo. They were all well-prepared and I every bout I fought in Amman was definitely a tough one due to the high motivation of my opponents.

What I expect in the Tokyo Olympic Games is to have fair decisions for everybody and just to see the Olympic spirit which is a real sportsmanship,” summarized his feelings and emotions Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial after the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.

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