Ed Picson, tireless national boxing executive behind the Philippine quest for the elusive Olympic boxing gold medal, was cautiously optimistic.
He said middleweight Eumir Felix Marcial appeared the Philippines’ strongest hope for an Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
“Yes, Marcial seems to be our biggest hope in recent memory. He is the current top-seed here. If he keeps his winning ways, he could be the No. 1 seed in Tokyo,” Picson said.
This was on Tuesday, from Amman, Jordan, site of the Asia/Oceania Olympic boxing prequalifying tournament.
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In a next message, a sullen Picson reported about the fate suffered by Marcial’s teammates.
He singled out world championship gold medalist Nesty Petecio, featherweight standout, who was upset in her first fight in Jordan.
Carlo Paalam also failed to hurdle his test.
Flyweight Irish Magno suffered early defeat but was fortunate to triumph in a subsequent box-off to make it a total of two Filipino boxing qualifiers to the Tokyo Olympics.
Petecio, together with Paalam, could have their final chances in the final qualifying tests in Paris in May.
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Magno was a brilliant, happy surprise.
But there is great excitement over Marcial for topping the Jordan tournament and clinching the middleweight gold medal.
Do remember that two of our best finishes in the Olympics were the silver medals delivered by the late Anthony Villanueva from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the other by Mansueto Velasco in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The past two Philippine Olympic quests—2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro—were forgettable. Marc Antony Barriga was wholly overwhelmed in London, while neophyte Rogen Ladon bombed out in his Olympic debut in Brazil.
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The 24-year-old Marcial was of a tough masterful stock and a big warrior heart.
He did score a stoppage (RSC) in Jordan, but had to struggle truly hard, winning by split decision over India’s Ashish Kumar who caused Marcial to be tolled a standing eight-count in the semifinals.
Marcial snapped back from a knockdown in the third round to complete his interrupted conquest of Kazakh Abilkhan Amankul and grab the middleweight gold medal late Wednesday.
Marcial had earlier vowed to win the gold medal for his dear father; although he failed to specify if he meant the top prize in the next Olympiad.
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“Nothing is impossible to God,” Marcial acknowledged after his summit win in Jordan.
It was a supreme test for him and his Kazakh rival, as they traded savage body blows, and were observed leaning on each other, sapped and wasted, close to the end of the final round.
There was ultimate savagery and it won’t be an exaggeration to state Marcial also did it through the mounting threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mt. Everest and Disneyland have been shut down. But the governor of Tokyo has stood firm and cried cancelling the 2020 Olympics is “unthinkable.”
Unlike the courageous and able Eumir Marcial, who gallantly survived ultimate trials, the Tokyo Olympics, feeble and unfocused, appeared more of a very proud fighter that continues to receive savage blows against the ropes.
A stoppage appeared inevitable.