Eumir Marcial responded to the Philippine Sports Commission’s claims, insisting that he has not been receiving ample support from stakeholders in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, which is just a couple of months away.
The middleweight sensation responded to a post made by former PSC chair Aparicio Mequi, saying that, ‘the PSC didn’t stop giving him his monthly allowance of P43,000. He also reportedly gets P30,000 monthly as enlisted personnel of the Philippine Air Force.’
“Mga taong walang alam sa sports tahimik na lang kayo! Hindi niyo alam ang katotohanan,” Marcial wrote in his lengthy status, which came alongside the screenshot of the said post by Mequi.
The 25-year-old said that the P43,000 allowance is not enough to cover the expenses of his training. He has reportedly even used his own money just to be able to pay for necessities — not just his, but his team’s as well.
“Since last year nong nasa United States ako hanggang ngayon dito sa Zamboanga City tingin niyo sapat ang 43,000 pesos monthly allowance para sa preparation para sa Olympics? (which is allowance ko yun sa sarili ko as a national athlete),” wrote Marcial, who went to the States last September for his pro debut and to train for the Games before coming back home last April.
“Do you think I can [live] diyan sa 43,000 pesos para sa plane tickets, accommodation, food, coaching staff, supplements, masseur, and etc. Lahat ng na mention sa taas provided by private sponsors and of course my own money.”
In the latter part of his post, the former AIBA Junior world champion did not hold back. He wrote that an Olympic gold medal is not possible if Filipino athletes continue to receive this kind of support.
“Kung ganiyan ang supporta at mentality niyo huwag kayong mag hangad ng gold sa Olympics!
“Ngayon ang tanong ko sa sarili ko at tanong ko din sa inyo mahihina ba kameng mga Pilipinong atleta kung bakit hanggang ngayon walang nakakakuha ng gold sa Olympics o sadjang may problema na ang pag supporta galing sa inyo?!” the three-time SEA Games gold medalist wrote.
Still, Marcial concluded his post by calling for unity. And he also expressed gratitude to all those that have been supporting him in his bid of getting the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
“Nawa’y ang salitang pagkakaisa ay meron tayong lahat,” he wrote. “Maraming salamat sa lahat ng tumutulong at sumusuporta saken. Go for support! Let’s go for gold!”
This isn’t the first time that Marcial has expressed his disappointment towards local sports’ powers-that-be via social media. Last March, he backed up fellow boxer Irish Magno when the PSC rejected her rant about lack of support.
Marcial and Magno were among the first Filipinos to qualify for the Olympics, which is scheduled on July 23-August 8. The accomplished boxers are part of the Philippine contingent that has eight athletes so far.
