AFP lauds Eumir Marcial for showing 'toughness of a true Filipino soldier' at Tokyo Olympics

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday thanked Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial, an Airman First Class, for earning a bronze medal for the Philippines at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In a statement, the AFP said Marcial fought hard and showed the toughness of a “true Filipino soldier” in his performance.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines is proud of A1C Eumir Marcial in his stint in boxing in the 2020 Olympics, giving our country a Bronze medal,” it said.

“We thank A1C Marcial as this is sure to further inspire his fellow service members to excel in their respective fields,” it added.

In a separate statement, the DND congratulated the Filipino boxer, saying that he exhibited incredible mettle and skill in the ring.

“We thank him for the pride and glory he has brought to the Filipino people despite the odds,” the DND said.

“The entire One Defense Team salutes our soldier-athlete for the inspiring hardwork, courage and sportsmanship he has displayed in his Tokyo 2020 journey,” it added.

Marcial fell short of the gold medal match after losing to Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the semifinal fight in the men’s middleweight division at the Kokugikan Arena on Thursday.

In the first round, three judges favored Marcial, 10-9, but he sustained a cut on top of his head.

Both fighters continued to land big punches on each other in the second round, with the Ukrainian, this time, getting a cut on the bridge of his nose.

But Marcial had to settle for a bronze medal after all of the judges gave the decisive third round to his opponent. —Joviland Rita/KBK/RSJ, GMA News