Zamboangueño dreams of Olympic gold

EUMIR Felix Marcial, the 15-year-old Zamboangueño and the only Filipino boxer who won a gold medal in the recently concluded Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) Junior World Boxing championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, has a big dream in life.

"My ambition is to fight in the Olympic Games," said Marcial during a press conference Monday following his arrival from Manila. "And when that time comes, I will try my very best to win a gold medal."

Tears rolled down the cheek of his father, Eulalio, when the young Marcial said that his inspiration in his career is his family.

Marcial said aside from boxing, his aim is to help his family and give honor to the country in general and Zamboanga City in particular in the sports of boxing.

Marcial received a P300,000 reward for capturing the gold medal in the ligh-bantamweight division at the recent AIBA World Junior Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The cash reward was handed to him by Amatuer Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) chairman Manny Pangilinan for winning the gold medal.

Marcial, who said that his favorite boxers are Manny Paquiao and Nonito Donaire, has expressed his gratitude to second district Congressman Erico Basilio Fabian for coming up with the "Golpe-Golpe ng Barangay" (Boxing in the Barangay) program.

ZAMBOANGA. AIBA gold medalist Eumir Felix Marcial (right) answers questions from reporters while Congressman Erico Basilio Fabian (center) and his father, Eulalio, listen. (Bong Garcia)

He also enrolled in the Summer Learn to Play a Sport, a month-long sports program of the city government.

Fabian, a mediaman turned politician, started the Golpe-Golpe na Barangay program aimed to discover talents from the grassroots when he was still a City Councilor.

Arsenio Nuevo, a coordinator of Fabian's program, said that Marcial was then eight years old when the latter climbed the ring for the first time to face his opponent.

He was one of the boxers from Barangay Lunzuran who joined the boxing matches at that time, Nuevo recalled.

"I even called the attention of a man accompanying them at that time when I saw Marcial in one corner crying and complaining his companions did not leave food for him to eat after the weight in," Nuevo said.

"The man, who turned out to be his father, replied to me not to worry because he has reserved food for Marcial who is his son," Nuevo added.

Marcial is now on his junior year at a school in Baguio City where he is under training with the ABAP national pool.