TOKYO Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial has been cited by the website boxraw.com among the 10 best Olympic boxers to watch in the Paris Summer Games, where boxing competitions unfold tomorrow at the Arena Paris Nord in the French capital.
“Returning to try and improve the color of his medal, Eumir Marcial is a former Bronze victor from 2020, but seeks a gold this summer,” noted the article posted on the website of the popular American boxing gear supplier yesterday (Thursday in Manila).
“Representing his home of the Philippines, the middleweight southpaw also won silver at the 2019 World Championships,” the report added of the 28-year-old pride of Zamboanga City, who will be fighting for the first time in the light-heavyweight division.
“He is another one of the professional fighters who will compete at the Games this summer, having already gone 5-0 with three knockouts so far since his debut back in 2020,” the story pointed out.
Although standing at 5-foot-8, the Pinoy southpaw will be giving away height and heft in the heavier weight class after earning a bronze medal in the Tokyo edition in the light middleweight division three years ago.
Among his top rivals for the gold in the weight category are China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan, the Hangzhou Asian Games light heavyweight gold medalist; and Uzbekistan’s Norbek Uralbay, who bagged the gold in the 2023 IBA World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The draw for all weight categories — seven for men and six for women — of the Paris Olympic boxing tournament was scheduled last night at 7 p.m. (3 a.m. in Manila) at the Arena Paris Nord.
The preliminaries will be held at the same venue while the semifinals and finals will be staged at the heritage-rich Roland Garros Stadium, home of the French Open.
