Boxer Carlo Paalam will advance to the gold-medal match of the Tokyo Olympics. At the same time, Eumir Marcial will take home the bronze medal after losing his semifinals match this Thursday afternoon.
Paalam won 5-0 against taller Tanaka Ryomei at Kokugikan Arena unanimously in their flyweight bout.
In the first round, Paalam dominated Tanaka with a solid combination.
Tanaka was taller, and his reach was longer, but Paalam read the opponent.
The Japanese tried to trap Paalam, but Paalam moved, so he could not reach him.
Paalam dedicates his victory to the Lord, his coaches, and the Filipinos.
“Sa Panginoon talaga, Siya nagbigay ng lakas at galaw sa akin araw-araw, ang coaches at Pilipino, salamat MVP. Gawin ko lang iyong best ko lang. Salamat talaga sa lahat ng coaches sa tiwala at support,” said Paalam.
Paalam was also praised by analysts such as Quinito Henson.
“A lot of publicity went to Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio, but if you talk to the coaches and ABAP leadership, they were so full of confidence he would podium. I think they knew that Carlo has it and would go for gold,” said Henson.
Carlo Paalam enters gold medal match; Eumir Marcial wins bronze
Paalam will face Great Britain’s Galal Yafai on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Marcial will take home a bronze medal in the middleweight division after losing to Ukrainian opponent.
The split decision ended in a fight between Marcial and Oleksandr Khyzhniak.
The Philippines will take home three boxing medals this Olympics.
If Carlo Paalam wins the final round, he will be the 2nd Filipino to win a gold medal in the country’s history after Hidilyn Diaz won weightlifting on July 26.
If he wins silver, he will be the 2nd boxer to have a silver medal at the Olympics, after Pinay boxer Nesthy Petecio took home the silver on Tuesday.
He bagged gold medals in the ASTANA/President’s Cup in Kazakhstan in 2017, the 10th AIBA International Boxing Tournament, and the 1st Thailand International Boxing Tournament in 2018.
In 2019, Carlo Paalam took home his first Southeast Asian Games gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, hosted at home in the Philippines.
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