Eumir Marcial gets boxing silver after loss to Chinese foe in Asian Games

Eumir Felix Marcial from the Philippines, right, and China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan compete during the men’s 71-80Kg boxing final against Thailand’s Thitisan Panmot at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

HANGZHOU, China—Eumir Felix Marcial dropped everything and momentarily put off a thriving pro career just to be here.

Too bad he failed to complete the trek to the summit of the 19th Asian Games following a stinging blow against China’s Tanglatihan Touhetaerbieke in their gold-medal brawl on Thursday.

Still, it was a journey worth Marcial’s time–and not to mention, his bank account–after reaching the ultimate mission of landing a berth in the next year’s Paris Olympics.

Marcial was ahead in the judges’ scorecards in the first round after delivering a right hook that had Touhetaerbieke receiving a standing eight count.

But the Chinese used his longer reach and bounced back with quick combinations that also put Marcial on a standing eight to level the count after two rounds.

Marcial tried to pierce holes in Touhetaerbieke armor, but he never found a perfect spot for a knockout.

“I feel that I had him in the third round but I have to respect the judges’ decision,” said Marcial after the match,

After earning a middleweight bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Marcial will be aiming for nothing less than the gold in Paris albeit in a bulkier weight class.

“Maybe in Paris I could change the color of this medal,” he said.

Marcial’s runner-up finish hiked the country’s medal tally to two golds, two silvers and 10 bronze medal.

A silver medal is equivalent to a cool million pesos from the Philippine Sports Commission and Marcial is expected to receive more bonuses from the Philippine Olympic Committee and his sponsors.

Marcial, who temporarily postponed a thriving pro career, became the last man standing for Team Philippines in boxing after fellow Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam didn’t figure in the medal rounds of their respective divisions.

The four-time Southeast Asian Games champion and former world championship silver medalist was forced to move up to a heavier class after his old division got scratched off the Paris program.