Marcial ready to join Nationals

MANILA, Philippines — Olympian Ronald Chavez yesterday gave this piece of advice to Tokyo Olympics-bound Eumir Marcial: train as an amateur.

“Sana pumunta siya dito sa amin (Thailand training camp) para maganda ang preparation niya kasi ang pinaghahandaan natin ay Olympics, hindi professional (fight),” said Chavez.

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics quarterfinalist told yesterday’s PSA Forum that Marcial will be better off training with members of the Philippine team instead of being with pro boxers.

Marcial, who won his first pro fight in the US last year, has opted to train in Los Angeles since last October than be with the national team, insisting that he has better sparring partners there.

But Chavez, gold medalist in the 1992 Asian Boxing Championships, stressed it would do Marcial more good than harm if he joins fellow Tokyo-bound pugs Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and the rest of the national team in Muak Lek, which is two hours drive from Bangkok.

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) secretary-general Ed Picson said Marcial has finally agreed to join the Nationals in Thailand after the Asian Elite Championships slated May 21 to June 1 in Dubai.