NO goodbyes yet for Bukidnon-born Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In familiar explosive fashion, Paalam boxed his way to the men’s boxing flyweight semifinals after defeating reigning Olympic and world champ Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan via split decision.
The fight was stopped at the 1:40 mark of the second round following an accidental clash of heads, with four judges scoring in favor of the Filipino while one called it a draw.
Paalam’s victory assures him of a bronze medal and the Philippines’ fourth Olympic medal, its most ever since the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA.
He joins women’s featherweight finalist Nesthy Petecio who fights for the gold today against Japanese bet Sena Irie, and Eumir Marcial, who will fight during the middleweight semifinals on Thursday against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak, the same day where Paalam will go for the gold against Ryomei Tanaka of Japan at 1:30 p.m.
Other Olympic bets who are still competing are US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso in golf and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
With four Olympic medals in the bag, this year is a banner year for the Philippines as it already surpassed its medal haul during the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA where it won three bronze medals from athletics’ Simeon Toribio, bantamweight boxer Jose Villanueva and swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, who is also the first Filipino Olympic medalist after winning a bronze medal in the Amsterdam Games back in 1928.
(PHOTO CREDIT: gmanetwork.com)