By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Boxer Eumir Marcial is on his way to Metz, France to join the Philippine team that has been in the thick of preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics slated late this month.
Marcial flew from the United States on Tuesday, July 2 (Manila time) where he spent the majority of his training in a boxing camp in Las Vegas.
In Metz, he will join teammates Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, Hergie Bacyadan and Carlo Paalam, as well as fellow Filipino Olympic qualifiers Joanie Delgaco of rowing and weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza.
Two-time world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo also flew to Metz from Manila over the weekend, as well as swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, who also joined the training camp from Canada and the United States, respectively.
Expected to join the PH team in Metz next week is fencer Samantha Catantan, who has been training in Venice, Italy.
Marcial remains upbeat he can eclipse his bronze medal finish in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“The Olympic Games [is] only three weeks away. There’s no more time for excuses, no time for any explanations because I am ready,” said Marcial, who recently sparred with former super welterweight world champion Jarrett Hurd and Team USA light heavyweight boxer Amir Anderson.
Marcial, Paalam and Bacayadan, however, are scheduled to leave for Saarbrucken, Germany on Wednesday, July 3, for a two-week training camp along with other nations, while Petecio and Villegas will continue training in Metz with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) planning to bring in sparring partners from the Philippine men’s boxing team.
Filipino boxers have produced the most number of Olympic medals in history of the country’s participation in the Games. Eight of the 12 athletes that won Olympic medals for Team Philippines are boxers including Petecio and Paalam, who won silver medals in Tokyo.
