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MANILA, Philippines – Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas released a statement appealing to “certain individuals and entities” that are luring Tokyo 2020 Olympics-bound Filipino pug Eumir Marcial to turn pro.
Vargas revealed the amounts are “too staggering,” with offers reaching “tens of millions of pesos before even landing a punch.”
Although it’s the 24-year-old boxer’s dream to become an Olympian, it seems what’s being dangled has left the rising boxer confused.
“Marcial has always maintained that his singular focus is to honor a promise made to his father and realize a dream that both of them shared from his childhood, to fight and win for his country in the Olympics,” read the statement released on Thursday, April 9.
“Recently however, with mind-boggling amounts being floated around, Eumir has been constantly pressured to deviate from his avowed mission.”
Marcial, who sealed his maiden Olympic berth last March, is projected to land a breakthrough podium finish in the world’s biggest sporting stage since Onyok Velasco’s silver-medal finish in the 1996 Games.
ABAP reiterates its full support to help the middleweight reach his Olympic goals even though the quadrennial meet was postponed to July 2021.
“With this, I appeal to everyone to please allow this young man to first fulfill his goal – that of participating and doing well in the Tokyo Olympics to fulfill a life-long promise of a son to his father, and to do his country proud,” said Vargas.
“While we do not begrudge Marcial of opportunities for financial security, we believe that these will come in due time. With the mark that he has made in the sport, whatever his performance in the Olympics will surely reap huge monetary gains, much more than what is now being offered.”
Before the coronavirus crisis was declared a pandemic, Marcial was riding on a huge momentum following his 2019 World Championships silver and 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold-medal runs.
After booking a Tokyo 2020 Olympics slot, Marcial cruised to win the gold in the Asia and Oceania Olympic qualifier.
With the government enforcing the enhanced community quarantine, Marcial is currently doing individual workouts at home. – Rappler.com
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