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Philippines, 18 May 2024 |
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Carlo Paalam: The Last is Not the Least By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Fri, 06 Aug 2021  Paalam (R) connects at Tanaka. Carlo Paalam was the last to qualify into the Tokyo Games, getting entry by virtue of his ranking albeit losing in a box off against Saken Bibossinov for supposedly the zones last slot. Now he is the last man standing from a bunch of wild cards that included Bibossinov himself and even fighting for the gold in the finals after ousting no less than the defending Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov in the quarterfinals and the host's Ryomei Tanaka. He will go up Saturday, August 7, for the gold against European zone best Galal Yafai, younger brother of former world super flyweight titleholder Khalid Yafai and a seasoned veteran. The last is indeed not always the least. Covering the 2019 South-East Asian Games held in Manila, I remember Paalam, somehow like Nesthy Petecio, our golden silver medalist, was not as popular as their more celebrated team mates as Felix Eumir Marcial, Charley Suarez and Josie Gabuco. He was also among the last with Nesthy in winning gold in the competition which secured the Philippines overall championship in boxing. Curiously, Nesthy only won her first gold in the SEA Games after becoming world women's boxing champion herself and that was the talk of the town. In the case of Paalam, young as he is, he has been around, a fixture one could say in various major international competitions but could not seem to get the breaks to win over familiar top named opponents as Amit Panghal of India to whom he lost all three previous major meetings. In fact, before this Olympics, all that Carlo could show was the gold at the 2019 Manila SEA Games and a bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games where he lost to Panghal in the semifinal. But heading to Tokyo, there were signs that things would be different and better for Carlo. First sign was the injury to Thailand's top bet Thitisan Panmod, the celebrated Thai world youth champion who was touted to figure well in Tokyo. Panmod injured his legs in avoiding a knockdown during sparring with Paalam and was unable to compete in Tokyo. Panmod's camp had previously avoided sparring against Carlo for fear of being scouted and agreed only to sparring with another Filipino, Rogen Ladon. But for some reason, they agreed to have Panmod spar against Paalam and the accident happen as Panmod tried to prevent himself from falling after absorbing a solid punch from Carlo. That scratched one potential rival even before the Games could officially start in Japan. Before this, Carlo was able to still make it to Tokyo despite losing in the box off to Bibossinov for the last slot for the Asia Oceania zone when organizers decided to forgo with the supposed final pre Olympics qualifiers in Paris and resort to rankings for the last few entries in boxing where he was among the last to qualify. During the competitors, the luck of draw evaded Carlo and he was immediately ranged against a veteran, two time Olympian from Ireland, Brandon Irvine who was also among the fancied names in the flyweight division. Unfazed by his rival's reputation and size edge, Carlo notched his first Olympic win by outclassed Irvine, 5-0. Two days later, in the Round of 16, Carlo was matched against another taller opponent, Mohammed Flissi of Algeria. Flissi avoided the sad fate suffered by his countryman who was stopped by Eumir Felix Marcial in his debut but Carlo again scored a master win, 5-0. In the same round, his main familiar rival and tormentor, Amit Panghal of India was upset and eliminated by Yuberjen Martinez of Colombia, the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the now defunct light flyweight class. But seemingly from the frying pan into the fire went Carlo as he was ranged in the quarterfinals against defending Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov himself. In one of the other pairing, Martinez was pitted against Ryomei Tanaka who controversially ousted another Olympic top seed, Hu Jianguan of China, the first time claim of hometown decision was aired in the competitions. 
Paalam downs top seed Zoirov in the quarterfinals. Carlo registered the tournament's biggest upset when he shocked Zoirov to a technical 4-1 decision in their injury-shortened quarterfinals bout after less than two rounds of boxing with the referee stopping the bout in view of the deep cut suffered by Zoirov and going to the scorecards. In the other bouts, Tanaka scored another controversial points win over Martinez and both Bibossinov and Yafai won theirs to join Paalam in the semifinals. The pairing was Paalam versus Tanaka and Yafai versus Bibossinov-- three wild cards and the remaining seed, Yafai, the European zone top qualifier. With his opponent's controversial last two wins and memory of Nesthy Petecio's somewhat controversial loss to home fighter Sena Irie in the women's boxing featherweight gold medal bout still fresh in his mind, Paalam made sure that he himself will decide the outcome of the fight. 
Paalam (R) displays emotions after beating Tanaka (L) in the semifinals. Using clever movements, darting in and out of his taller Japanese opponent to deliver scoring punches and avoiding being hit in return, Paalam frustrated and outclassed Tanaka for nearly all three rounds to post a unanimous 5-0 semifinals victory. After beating the older brother of former two divisions world champion Kosei Tanaka, Carlo is up against the younger sibling of another ex world champion in Galal Yafai. It will be a clash of two fighters who had contrasting fortunes before getting to Tokyo. Yafai had breezed through the European zone pre Olympics qualifiers, winning by disqualification in the finals over world number seven Billal Bennema of France who had also earlier exited from the Tokyo competitions. He advanced to the finals by nipping Bibossinov in the semis, 3-2. Essentially, an Olympic qualifying free loader, Carlo does not mind. In four previous fights, he had proven that he belongs and in the finals, he may be the last to get in but certainly not the least in talent, skills and determination. Indeed as the last man standing from among the wildcards, he could even be the best fighter not only in the flyweight, but all of 2020 Tokyo Olympics boxing. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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