Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial. –PSC PHOTO
HANGZHOU, China—Eumir Marcial saw his Olympic dream gradually taking shape after advancing to the quarterfinals in boxing at the 19th Asian Games here.
Marcial moved three steps closer to a return trip to the Olympics next year in Paris following a 5-0 conquest of Vietnam’s Manh Cuong Nguyen in the men’s 80kg round of 16 late Friday evening at the Hangzhou Gymnasium.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist faces Thailand’s Weerapon Jongjoho in the quarters where the winner will be guaranteed a bronze medal.
Jongjoho ousted Japanese Issei Aramoto in a referee stopped contest in the round of 16.
Only the finalists in each division will punch a ticket to Paris.
Marcial, who claimed the bronze in the middleweight category during the 2018 Asiad, joined Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg) and heavyweight John Marvin as
the only surviving Filipino boxers out of 10 entries.