Paalam topples world champ
NAGOYA – Carlo Paalam remains the last man standing for the Philippine boxing team here – no blinking, no quitting, no farewell.
Paalam, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist from Bukidnon, walked into the Nishio Gymnasium yesterday as an underdog and walked out with a shot at gold, taking a 3-2 split decision over Kazakhstan’s Makhmud Sabyrkhan to reach the men’s 55-kilogram final at the 20th Asian Games.
It was Amman all over again. Paalam beat the same Kazakh, 4-1, for the Asian Elite gold in 2022 in Jordan. Only this time, the stakes were higher and the Kazakh more dangerous.
Sabyrkhan – 2023 IBA world champion with a 5-0 shutout of Uzbekistan’s Oybek Juraev in the final, 2025 WB world champion, World Boxing’s Best Boxer awardee last year, Paris Olympian at 57kg – came in as the man to beat in the division.
Paalam beat him anyway. And Team Philippines savored another glorious day in the Games also marked by the semifinal entry of Alex Eala in women’s tennis singles and the pair of Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara in women’s beach volleyball.
Other bets didn’t reach the medal round.
The more illustrious beach volleyball pair of Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Rondina committed crucial errors in the decider and suffered a 17-21, 21-12, 13-15 loss to the Thai duo of Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee.
The highly touted Sibol MLBB team, six-time world champion, went down to a 1-2 upset by Indonesia in the quarterfinals.
Netters Stefi Aludo and Tannielle Madis failed to get past the second round of women’s doubles on a 3-6, 1-6 blowout by Taiwanese Chan Hao-Ching and Wu Fang-Hsien.
Daryl John Mercado was the lead-off guy for the Philippine judo team and went out on an Ippon by Japanese rival Hayato Kondo in their men’s -60kg Round of 16 match. Later, Keisei Nakano also took the boot on an Ippon by Uzbek Abdurakhim Nutfulloev in men’s -66kg.
But Paalam, Eala and the Progella-Pagara pair won’t let Team Philippines down.
With the rains gone, Eala finally debuted at Higashiyama Park Center Court, blasting Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0.
Up against the Taiwanese ace, with one WTA 125 title under her belt, Eala encountered some resistance early on but went unstoppable when she finally got into the groove.
“I think it was a really close first set, a lot of breaks and some good hitting. There’s a lot of deuces as well, so I think maybe I just had my way in the important points and I got a couple more during those tight moments,” Eala said of the tight first set.
The Pinay tennis darling won the match in one hour and 49 minutes, advancing to the semis against China’s Wang Xiyu.
At the Nishio boxing arena, Paalam and Sabyrkhan went at it from the opening bell.
Paalam drew first blood, getting the nod of four judges in the first with his sharp, clean counters. Sabyrkhan, showing his championship pedigree, pumped life into his bid in the second.
It all came down to a brutal third. There was even a warning on Paalam. But the Filipino just kept coming, kept countering, kept finding the openings.
In the end, Paalam drew the nod of judges from Serbia, Argentina and Montenegro. The ones from Mauritius and Algeria had it for the Kazakh.
“World No. 1 ito, two-time world champion, Best Boxer award pa last year. Siya talaga gustong talunin ni Carlo in this weight class. Alam niya kung mananalo ng gold, dadaanan niya si Sabyrkhan,” said Philippine boxing chief Marcus Manalo.
With the victory, Paalam – now assured of at least a silver – is one win away from ending what has been a 16-year gold drought for Philippine boxing in the Asian Games, since Rey Saludar stood on top of the podium in Guangzhou 2010.
Waiting in Friday’s final is hometown favorite Rui Yamaguchi. The 22-year-old, buoyed by youth, momentum and the roaring home crowd, booked his finals ticket with a commanding 5-0 win over Mongolia’s Bilguunsaikhan Kharhuu.
“Hindi mo masasabi ang pwedeng mangyari sa ring, basta ilalabas ko ang best ko,” said Paalam.
“Hindi rin madali yung Japanese, nasa top 2, top 3 in world ranking. But I’m sure Carlo will be up for the challenge,” said Manalo.
For Paalam, this is redemption in motion.
“Very excited si Carlo. After the Paris heartbreak, ang haba ng proseso niya to recover. After that, we joined the Worlds, napunitan siya, and they had to stop the fight. Di siya nakapag SEA Games. Kaya talagang looking forward si Carlo dito,” said Manalo.
In golf over in Kasugai, LPGA veteran Bianca Pagdanganan was joint third with a three-under 67 in women’s play while Japan Tour card holder Justin delos Santos had a 68 for a piece of ninth in the men’s side after the opening round.
Rianne Malixi tossed in a 70 in the Philippine women’s total of 137, five behind leader Singapore. Pauline del Rosario didn’t count with a 78. In men’s team play, Carl Jano Corpus added a 69 to Team Philippines’ 137, six adrift of first-round leader Japan with a 131. Miguel Tabuena didn’t count with a 70.
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