Marcial hints at turning pro

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino boxer Eumir Felix Marcial is not discounting the possibility of him turning pro before the Tokyo Olympics.

Marcial said he’s weighing his options that include mouth-watering offers from established boxing promoters in the United States, England and current world champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

A report yesterday said Marcial, 24, can earn at least P10 million (roughly $200,000) in signing bonus if he considers one of the offers.

“Alam ninyo, pinag-aaralan ko po ‘yun at kinukunsidera yung pagpasok ko sa pro kasi lalo na yung mga offer ng manager at promoter,” Marcial, a welterweight, said via his YouTube channel Eumir Marcial TV.

Marcial, a silver medalist in last year’s World Championships, is fully aware that the Olympics now allows the participation of professional boxers.

He stressed that his main goal is to win the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Olympics. If he wins the gold, Marcial stands to receive at least P10 million from the government, and becomes a national hero.

“Yung main goal ko po ay makuha pa rin yung gold sa Olympics,” Marcial said.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, there were three pros who competed, led by former IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand.

Marcial is seriously condering the offers because of the opportunities they present. However, he did not state if the offers require him to abandon his slot in the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) and fight as a pro  right after the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled in July next year.

“Kung kayo nasa position ko, na may mag-offer sa inyo ng ganoong bagay at makakapaglaro pa rin kayo sa Olympics na sa tingin ko mas makakatulong sa akin yun, yung training ko madagdagan…ano pong magiging desisyon niyo? Ano yung pwede niyong gawin?”

Ricky Vargas, ABAP president, has earlier cautioned boxing promoters that this is not the right time to lure Marcial into turning pro.