Eumir Felix Marcial attacked without mercy and stopped Mongolian Byamba Erdene Otgonbaatar in three rounds of their quarterfinal bout on Sunday in the Asian-Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament at Prince Hamzeh International Hall in Amman, Jordan, to book a berth to the Tokyo Games later this year and fulfill a lifelong dream.
The 24-year-old Marcial rained devastating left straight and right hooks on Otgonbaatar that had the referee giving the Mongolian two standing eight counts before calling a stoppage to the carnage.
“This is the realization of a dream that I and my father have had since the start,” a very emotional Marcial said in Filipino of the Olympic berth, a burning desire since childhood.
“I waited four years for this since I failed to qualify [for the Rio de Janeiro] 2016 [Games] because of injury,” he said. “That’s why this is so sweet. I will double my efforts in training so that my father and I can hit our target of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.”
Eulalio, Eumir’s father, still trains young boxers in their hometown of Zamboanga City. He was his son’s first trainer.
On Monday, world featherweight champion Nesthy Petecio attempts to join Marcial as she faces an old adversary, Japan’s Sena Irie. The two have each won one match against the other, the last one went in favor of the Filipino during the World Championships in Russia in October of last year.
Flyweight Irish Magno and lightweight Riza Pasuit are also a win away from Olympic slots.
Magno has a tall order, as she goes up against five-time world champion Meri Kom of India, while Pasuit faces the third seed in her division, Wu Yi-Shih of Chinese-Taipei.
The 21-year old Carlo Paalam also has a score to settle with Amit of India in their own flyweight tussle for an Olympic berth. The Indian boxer won close decisions against the Cagayan de Oro native—in the 2018 Asian Games and in the World Championships last year.
Marcial thus becomes the third bet for the Philippines in the Games after pole vaulter EJ Obiena and reigning world gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo. INQ