Carlo Paalam within the Asian Video games boxing spherical of 16. –POOL PHOTO
The nationwide boxing workforce took an enormous blow to the chin when Nesthy Petecio, a silver medalist within the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, was eradicated by a taller foe from the medal race on Saturday.
One other Olympic silver medalist, additionally confronted with a rangier opponent, made positive his personal bid would go on.
Carlo Paalam minimize down Kyrgyzstan’s Uulu Munarbek Seiitbek to dimension within the 57-kilogram (kg) division of males’s boxing, hammering out a 4-1 victory to advance to the quarterfinals within the Asian Video games right here in Hangzhou, China.
“I count on my succeeding fights to be tougher. Our division is full of sensible boxers who’re taller than me,’’ stated Paalam in Filipino.
Thus far, Paalam has dusted off taller foes with longer attain with ease, opening his bid right here with a victory over the lanky Mohammed Jajeh Abu of Jordan.
It was Petecio who struggled along with her opponent’s vary, even when that opponent was fairly acquainted.
Perennial rival Lin Yu-ting, the long-armed Taiwanese that Petecio disposed of en path to a silver end within the Tokyo Olympics, utilized her peak and attain benefit to the hilt for a payback victory that despatched the Filipino crashing out of the spherical of 16 within the girls’s 57kg class.
Uzbek subsequent
Petecio thus misplaced her bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics outright and can now should undergo harder world qualifiers to go for gold within the glitzy French capital subsequent 12 months.
“There might be adjustments in my coaching as we work on a number of issues that should be addressed,’’ stated Petecio.
Paalam, who usually campaigns in a lighter class that was scrubbed off subsequent 12 months’s Olympic calendar, should cope with extra foes who will simply outsize him within the match.
Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov, a former world champion, dominated Vietnam’s Van Duong Nguyen, 5-0, arranging a quarterfinal conflict with Paalam on Tuesday.
“I hope I can get previous him too,” Paalam stated. “I’m simply grateful that I proceed to be sturdy and wholesome right here.”
Paalam gained benefit within the first spherical after hitting Seiitbek with a straight and tagging the present world championships bronze medalist with a left.
Utilizing his longer arms, Seiitbek subsequent engaged Paalam in an exciting change within the second spherical and got here out on prime along with his aggressiveness.
However Paalam was extra intelligent within the ring, transferring from left to proper and dropping a straight or a jab whereas evading Seiitbek’s attain.
“That was our technique and labored till the tip,’’ stated nationwide coach Ronald Chavez.
The 25-year-old satisfaction of Talakag, Bukidnon, in Northern Mindanao, is a victory nearer to a bronze medal and two wins away from nailing an Olympic berth.
“I can’t say what my likelihood is proper now for the Olympics,” Paalam stated. “I’m simply centered on my subsequent battle.”
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Solely the finalists in Paalam’s division will earn the journey to Paris.
Eumir Marcial additionally took a step nearer to Paris late Friday night time following a 5-0 conquest of Vietnam’s Manh Cuong Nguyen within the males’s 80kg spherical of 16 at Hangzhou Gymnasium.
