From one Filipino athlete chasing big dreams to another.

Eumir Marcial revealed Thirdy Ravena wanted to chip in financially to help the Filipino boxer in his bid for a medal in the Tokyo Olympics.

“The only person who can understand us [the] most/better [are] our fellow athletes. [They are the ones] who understand our sacrifices for the country,” Marcial wrote on Facebook on Sunday, May 16.

Marcial said Ravena, who recently signed a multi-year contract with the San-En NeoPhoenix in the Japan B. League, saw his social media posts asking for more support from the government.

In a series of social media posts in the past week, Marcial said the P43,000 monthly allowance he is receiving from the Philippine Sports Commission is not enough to cover his expenses for his Olympic bid.

Marcial said he and sponsors pay for transportation, accommodation, food, supplements, coaching staff, and other necessities for his Olympic buildup.

“I hope that idol [Thirdy] will become an inspiration and will influence other Filipino athletes to help one another in different ways,”

“I also wish that it can influence sports lovers, and most especially, our sports leaders,” he added.

Later on Sunday, Marcial responded to comments made by Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Ricky Vargas.

In a report by the Daily Tribune, Vargas asked Marcial to rejoin his teammates and “put his love of country on top” just like Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

The national boxing team is currently gearing up in Thailand, while Marcial is training in his native Zamboanga City.

“Until now, I truly believe that you are the person who can understand us boxers better,” Marcial wrote about Vargas.

“I’ve been on the national team for 10 years already. Supposedly above everyone I know, I know that it is you who can understand our situations as boxers better.”

Marcial argued he already canceled two professional fights, from which “I can earn millions of pesos,” to prioritize his campaign in the Asian Boxing Championships, which will be held in Dubai starting May 21.

“Now, how can you say that my love for giving honor to the country is not my utmost priority?”

“When in fact, the very first day I joined the national team, that was what I wanted for myself, for my family, and for my beloved country of the Philippines,” Marcial said. – Rappler.com