Marcial No Longer Playing in Asian Games — A Good Idea, Says Powcast

Eumir Marcial will no longer represent the Philippines in boxing at the upcoming Asian Games, following a decision made after discussions with Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Marcus Jarwin Manalo.

Marcial, one of the Philippines’ top boxers in both the amateur and professional ranks, recently scored an impressive victory on September 20 at Pechanga Arena in California, where he dismantled his opponent in just three rounds.

He was previously slated to join the Philippine boxing team for the Asian Games. However, that plan has now changed.

Powcast reached out to ABAP president Marcus Jarwin Manalo, who explained the decision.

“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.

According to Manalo, the short turnaround would require Marcial to immediately travel from the United States to Nagoya, Japan, a journey involving a significant time-zone adjustment, before competing in another high-level boxing tournament.

“It would be very hard for him to immediately transition from a professional fight in the US, into long-distance travel to Nagoya with 16-hr time difference, and then into another high-level boxing competition with such a short recovery period,” Manalo added.

Manalo also emphasized that the decision was made with Marcial’s health and safety in mind.

“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,” he said.

Marcial himself was reportedly looking forward to another opportunity to represent the Philippines.

“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,” Manalo said.

However, Manalo stressed that representing the country also means making responsible decisions that protect athletes and their long-term careers.

“We sincerely hope for understanding that this decision was made with Eumir’s best interests in mind. His commitment to Philippine boxing and to representing the country has never been in question,” he added.

Marcial is now expected to turn his attention toward the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in December, where he will once again have an opportunity to represent the Philippines.

Powcast Perspective

For me, this is a difficult decision, especially because Eumir Marcial is a strong contender who could potentially bring home a medal for the Philippines.

But given the circumstances, I believe skipping the Asian Games is a fair and reasonable decision.

Marcial just came off a professional fight in the United States. Asking him to immediately make a long-distance trip to Japan, adjust to a major time-zone difference, recover, and then compete again at a high level presents a legitimate concern in a sport where physical condition and recovery are extremely important.

A medal is important, but the long-term health and career of an athlete should also be part of the equation.

For that reason, I want to commend ABAP president Marcus Jarwin Manalo and the organization for putting the athlete's welfare into consideration.

Eumir Marcial has already proven his commitment to the Philippine flag. Missing one tournament does not change that.

The focus now shifts to December and the AIMAG, where Marcial can hopefully compete with better preparation, proper recovery, and the same determination to represent the Philippines.