EUMIR FELIX MARCIAL is getting more comfortable as a light heavyweight and he is convinced he can deliver in the Paris Olympics.
Bronze medalist in men’s middleweight class in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Marcial moved up in weight after the 75-kg division was scrapped by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Paris.
Marcial adjusted well and bagged silver in the 80-kg division at the Hangzhou Asian Games last October and four months before Paris, Marcial said he’s in a perfect spot.
“I have to gain five kilos or add more muscles heading to the Paris Games, but it’s so perfect for me because my natural weight is around 165 kgs, which is 80 kilos,” he said. “That 81 kgs is the exact weight in Paris so that’s perfect for me.”
The Paris Games are set July 26 to August 11.
Marcial’s weight in professional bouts was 160 kgs but in his homecoming fight at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium against Thailand’s Thoedsak Sinam over the weekend, he weighed 165 pounds or exactly 80 kgs.
It was a great weekend for the 28-year-old Marcial as he knocked Sinam out cold to keep his professional go undefeated in five professional fights with three knockouts.
After the Holy Week break, Marcial and his team will return to Las Vegas to resume their Olympic training camp under American trainer coach Kay Koroma.
They will focus more on improving fundamentals particularly jabs.
“The US is the best place for boxing training because everything is there,” Marcial said. “From quality and tall sparring partners to training techniques, you can find it there. So my training for the Olympics will be in the US.”
Aspiring Olympians from the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) will train in Colorado Springs in April before their training camp in Bangkok, where the final World Olympic Qualification will be held from May 23 to June 3.
Marcial has yet to hook up with ABAP’s plan but there’s a possibility he will be in Colorado Springs but not in Thailand—he already qualified for Paris with his silver in Hangzhou.
Koroma’s assistant DJ Zamora believes Marcial can win gold in Paris.
“I think so. Eumir has the power and he’s a good boxer so he can bring gold,” the 44-year-old Zamora said. “Just getting back in boxing, working on his jabs and refining his defense, and be more patient, I think overall he can really do it.”
“I’d love to continue working for him heading into Paris and helping him to become a complete boxer, but it’s really up to Eumir,” Zamora added.
Marcial said that Koroma’s group and the ABAP coaches will work hand in hand for the Paris Olympic boxing competitions at the Arena Paris Nord and Roland Garros Stadium.
The other Filipino boxers who have qualified for the Olympics are Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and flyweight Aira Villegas.