The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines assured that Eumir Marcial will be on board when the country competes in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou from 23 September to 8 October.
ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo said Marcial will join them in their training camp in Canberra, Australia on 2 September as soon as he wraps up his fifth fight as a professional fighter around late August.
With that, the 27-year-old Olympic bronze medalist will miss their training camps in Patiala, India from 28 July to 6 August and at the Inspire Institute of Sport in Karnataka, India from 6 to 20 August.
“Eumir is still in the United States. He will not be joining us in India because of his professional fight. But he will catch up later,” said Manalo, who graced the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum with new ABAP president, Robbie Puno, and ABAP executive Karina Picson.
“There are risks like cuts but he is still the best talent we have in that weight category so we’re going to wait for him.”
The Asian Games is going to be Marcial’s return to the amateur ring after missing the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia due to a broken hand.
Huge challenge, however, awaits Marcial as his original weight class, 75-kilogram, was scrapped by Asian Game organizers, prompting him to compete in the 80-kg event.
But Manalo expects the Zamboanga native to go all out not just to win his first Asian Games gold medal, but also to book a return flight to the Olympics that will be held in Paris next year.
“Eumir’s walking weight is close to 80 kilograms already. The difference is he won’t reduce his weight,” Manalo said.
“It is easier to gain weight than lose weight. Doing so would require him to increase his muscle mass.”
