BOXER Eumir Felix Marcial will replace Ernest John "EJ" Obiena as the Philippines' flagbearer alongside judoka Kiyomi Watanabe in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23 at the National Stadium. "He [Marcial] has the most flexible schedule before and after the opening ceremony," Tolentino said. Obiena, on the other hand, is coming in from Italy and will be in Japan just hours before the opening ceremony. "Because of protocols, EJ should be expecting delays at the airport and that would make it impossible for him to catch the opening ceremony," Tolentino said. Marcial, who turned professional last year, will make his Olympic debut on July 25 in the men's middleweight round-of-32.

Source: Manila Times July 15, 2021 16:16 UTC