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| Eumir Marcial will no longer play in the Asian Games despite the needed quick finish against Omar Huerta. Jhay Otamias |
MANILA—It's final: Eumir Marcial will not play in the Asian Games.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo said on Sunday that despite Marcial scoring a needed quick knockout against Omar Huerta, the Filipino star pugilist cannot make the flight to Nishio, Japan to join his national team comrades.
"I spoke to Eumir right after winning his professional fight earlier. After carefully considering the situation, Eumir and I agreed that it would be better to skip the Asian Games," Manalo said in a text message relayed to reporters.
Filipino boxing fans got a glimmer of hope that Marcial would still join the Asian Games after he needed only three rounds to depose Huerta.
However, ABAP deemed that three days is too short of a transition period from his pro bout to the more daunting Olympic-style boxing of the Asian Games.
With no direct flight from San Diego to Nagoya, Marcial would also need to take a 15-hour flight, which would significantly reduce his training time.
"It would be very hard for him to immediately transition from a professional fight in the US into long-distance travel to Nagoya with a 16-hour time difference, and then into another high-level boxing competition with such a short recovery period. Boxing is a physically demanding and inherently risky sport, and adequate time to rest and recover is extremely important, and we do not want to compromise Eumir’s health and safety because of the tight timeline," Manalo further said.
In an interview with US-based sports photographer Jhay Otamias, Marcial said he was still ready to catch the flight, even though he had fought Huerta as if it were a full Olympic-style boxing match, which lasts only three rounds.
"Ready pa ako. Three rounds lang 'yun, so parang lumaban lang ako sa amateur. I think ready pa naman yung katawan ko," Marcial said.
Manalo confirmed Marcial's readiness, saying, "Eumir himself was very much looking forward to the opportunity to represent the flag once again. This is therefore a difficult decision for everyone involved. However, representing the Philippines is not only about stepping into the ring. It is also about making responsible decisions that protect our athletes and allow them to have long, healthy careers."
With Weljon Mindoro, the supposed alternate, also not cleared after suffering a knockout loss against Carlos Ocampo on Aug. 30, the Philippines is left without a boxer in the men's 80-kilogram division, prompting the national team to withdraw its participation in the said weight category.
The Philippine Olympic Committee is now facing sanctions from the Olympic Council of Asia for the last-minute withdrawal ahead of the supposed match draw on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Manalo assured that Marcial will play in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in December.
