PH bet John Marvin excited for grind as AIBA world tilt, SEA Games draw closer

National team boxers John Marvin and Felix Marcial. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—John Marvin is preparing for what could be the toughest stretch of the year with not just one but two international boxing meets coming up.

The Philippine national boxing team is set to fly for Russia on Sept. 5 for the 2019 Aiba World Boxing Championships then buckle down to work for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines in Dcember.

Despite the hectic schedule, Marvin is just excited for the grind.

“I’m really excited for the World Championships because that’s coming up but also the SEA Games because the Philippines is the host country,” Marvin, a member of the British Army who hails from a Kapampangan mother and a British father, told the Inquirer Friday.

Marvin is relatively new to the Philippine team, only representing the country in a major tournament twice so far. He fought in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and then the 2019 Asian Championships in Bangkok.

Marvin won silver in Thailand and gold in Malaysia, but he doesn’t want to give himself an additional burden thinking of undue pressure ahead of the games.

“There really isn’t much of a mental burden because it’s a total commitment to your training,” said Marvin. “You get up, train, eat, sleep, wake up again, train, eat, and sleep again unless you have to go do other things that are obliged on the boxing team to go and do but other than that the focus is really good.”

Marvin added that if ever there’s a chance where he could replicate the highlight he produced in 2017, he wouldn’t think twice.

The Filipino-English slugger took his first SEA Games gold medal in sensational fashion, knocking out Adli Hafidz Mohd Pauzi of Malaysia in 21 seconds.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to win, if that comes then it comes but I look at doing my best and just getting them out of there as soon as possible because we don’t get paid overtime.”