Idol-turned-boss Manny Pacquiao a source of inspiration for Marcial

Boxer Eumir Marcial is devoting his efforts to giving the country its first Olympic gold medal at next year’s Tokyo Games despite turning pro under Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.

Marcial, 24, said the Olympics remains his top priority because it has been his life-long dream to make it to world sports’ grandest stage.

“Mahirap mag-gold, pero hindi imposible,” the Zamboanga native said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum webcast.

“Ilang taon ko ring hinintay at pinagsikapan para maka-qualify sa Olympics at ngayong andito na ako, ibibigay ko na ang lahat.”

Marcial first tried his luck to earn an Olympic berth in the 2016 London edition but failed.

He pushed harder after that, winning medals in between then and now, including a silver at the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Russia and a gold at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games that the country hosted last December.

Though juggling amateur and pro styles during training at the moment, Marcial believes there is no easy task of making his dreams come true.

He spoke of his huge admiration and respect for Pacquiao, whose career also started from the bottom.

“As a boxer, always po akong handa. Excited na din ako makalaban sa pro,” he said.

“Si Sir Manny (Pacquiao), idol ko yan. Sobra akong na-inspire sa kanya kaya gagawin ko lang best ko every fight at lalo ko pang i-improve sarili ko pagpasok ko sa pro.”

The country came close to winning the Olympic gold in boxing in 1996 when Onyok Velasco settled for the silver in Atlanta.

Also competing in the Tokyo Games is female boxer Irish Magno, while other fighters are also seeking berths after qualifiers were rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.