Eumir Marcial set to miss Asian Games redemption tour

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philippine national boxing team just received a huge blow.

Eumir Marcial, the PHL’s only boxer who won a medal during the 2023 Asian Games in China, will not see action when the 2026 edition in Nagoya, Japan, kicks off.

The development was confirmed by Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines President Marcus Jarwin Manalo, who announced that the 2023 Asian Games silver medalist will have a scheduling conflict as he is set to resume his professional career.

Marcial’s return to pro boxing will be on Sept. 19, 2026, against Omar Ulises Huerta at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

However, the first elimination bout in the light heavyweight division is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2026, leaving Marcial with just a four-day recovery window.

Manalo emphasized the risk of fielding Marcial fresh off a pro bout and reiterated that the boxing star won’t be in optimum condition for the 2026 Asian Games.

He added that Marcial plans to fly straight to Japan if he has an easy fight against Huerta, but Manalo doubts it, explaining that pro fights are so unpredictable.

Marcial is still listed as part of Team PHL’s seven-man squad, joining former Olympic teammates Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, and Aira Villegas.

The 30-year-old pugilist was supposed to have a redemption tour after falling short of claiming the gold medal during the last Asian Games, losing to China’s Tanglatihan Tuohetaerbieke by unanimous decision.

After a deadlock on the scorecards heading into the third round, all of the judges felt the home bet did enough and rewarded him with the win, tallying a clean 5-0 sweep in the final three minutes of action.

In a match that was clouded by controversy, Marcial and his camp felt they fought well enough to earn the win, but the ringside judges saw it the other way and gave all of their votes to Tuohetaerbieke.

It was Marcial who dictated the action throughout the fight and even landed the cleaner punches, especially during the decisive final round.

Marcial was able to land three significant punches in the final minute, with Tuohetaerbieke fighting on the back foot to avoid further damage.

Despite the loss, Marcial still earned a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he suffered a round-of-16 exit against Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev.