MANILA – Filipino amateur boxer Carlo Paalam is set to make an Olympic return after outclassing Sachin Siwach of India in the men’s 57kg semifinal at the 2nd World Boxing Qualification for Paris Games on Saturday night in Bangkok, Thailand.
Using his wide experience against the much taller Siwach, Paalam unloaded a flurry of punches against the Indian foe to score a unanimous decision victory and became the 14th Filipino qualifier to the Games.
Two judges scored 30-27 while the remaining three gave 29-28, all in favor of Paalam, who will try to bounce back from his silver medal finish in the men’s 52kg category in Tokyo, Japan in 2021.
Paalam, who failed to make the cut in the first boxing Olympic Qualifying Tournament last March, dominated Dominican Republic’s Feliz delos Santos, 5-0, in the quarterfinals round.
The 25-year-old Paalam became the fourth Filipino boxer to earn a slot in the Paris Summer Games aside from Tokyo bronze medalists Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
Other Filipino who qualified to Paris are pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo, weightlifters John Febuar Ceniza, Vanessa Sarno and Elreen Ando, rower Joanie Delgaco, and fencer Samantha Catantan.
Meanwhile, Filipina boxer Hergie Bacyadan inched closer to the 2024 Paris Olympics after a tight 3-2 win over Veronika Nakota of Hungary in the quarterfinals round of the women’s 75kg category.
Bacyadan was deducted midway the first round for excessive holding, but she upped her tempo with combination and clear shots in the next two rounds to outpoint her opponent.
A victory by Bacyadan against Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza will clinch her the coveted Olympic slot.
Baclayan, who claimed a Vovinam Worlds title last year, switched focus to boxing in hopes of making the Olympics./PN
