Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial gets candid on his shock loss against Turabek Khabibullaev, which resulted in an early end for his gold medal pursuit in Paris.
Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial’s gold medal bid in the Paris Olympics ended early on Wednesday, falling to Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev via unanimous decision in the men’s 80kg Round of 16.
Fighting outside his usual weight class, the Tokyo bronze medalist failed to find momentum against the taller Uzbek, who kept him at bay throughout the nine-minute contest.
Hours after the loss, however, reports revealed that Marcial entered Wednesday’s bout hobbled. According to multiple reports, the 27-year-old suffered a rib injury heading into his Paris campaign.
“Not many people know but behind the scene, I sustained an injury two weeks leading up to this match that prevented me to move and do my usual training, which also affected my mental strength and overall performance,” Marcial wrote in a Facebook post.
“But no regrets still, I know God has a bigger purpose for this loss. I may not understand it now but I need to trust that it was God’s protection to keep me safe from any further potential injury.”
Eumir Marcial admits being “devastated”, and is “at a loss for words” following the tough loss against seventh-seeded Khabibullaev. After all, the Zamboanga pride entered Paris with his sights set on an elusive gold medal.
“The people know that it has always been my absolute dream to win the gold medal at the Olympics not just for myself, for my family, but most especially, for the Philippines,” Marcial wrote.
“I went to training every day with a mindset of winning the gold. I’ve put in the hard work and sacrificed so much for this dream, as far as putting my professional career on hold.”
But despite this, Marcial can proudly say that he “gave it all in the ring” against Khabibullaev. Even with the loss, he also thanked his kababayans who rooted for him in his second Olympic run.
Eumir Marcial also ended with a reassuring statement: “I’m so proud to have been able to represent our country once again here at the Olympics. Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement. This is not the end of my journey.”
With Marcial out, the Philippines will have four boxers left: Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Aira Villegas, and Hergie Bacyadan. Petecio and Villegas both won their opening bouts, while Paalam and Bacyadan will open their campaigns later on Wednesday.
And as we wait for Eumir Marcial’s next step, we’ll likely see him cheering on the quartet from the North Paris Arena sidelines for now.
Banner Image from the Philippine Sports Commission on Facebook.
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