FORMER scavenger-turned-Olympian Carlo Paalam guns for another gold for the Philippines Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
The Philippines already won its first ever gold after a historic victory by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
Paalam hopes to double that feat as he takes on Great Britain’s Galal Yafai in the Men’s Flyweight division finals at Kokugikan Hall.
The 23-year-old Paalam had an impressive run in his first Olympic campaign. He started out his run with a 4-1 decision win over Irish Brendan Irvine in the Round of 32.
He followed it up with a lopsided points win over two-time Olympian Mohamed Flissi of Algeria in the Round of 16.
Paalam came in as a huge underdog in the quarterfinals as he faced 2016 Rio Olympics and AIBA World Boxing Championships gold medalist Shakhobidin Zoirov. He beat Zoirov by technical decision after the fight was stopped due to a huge cut over the Uzbek’s eye.
Paalam then totally outclassed Japanese Ryomei Tanaka, the older brother of two-division world champion Kosei Tanaka, in the semifinals.
Like Tanaka, the 28-year-old Yafai is also from a boxing family. Yafai’s older brother is former World Boxing Association super flyweight king Kal Yafai.
Yafai started his Olympic run with a stoppage win over Armenian Koryun Soghomonyan in the Round of 32.
He squeaked past young Zambian upstart Patrick Chinyemba, 3-2, on points in the Round of 16 but came back impressively in the quarterfinals with a 4-1 decision win over three-time Olympian and former World Championships gold medalist Yosbany Veitia of Cuba.
Yafai barely made it through the semifinals but came out victorious via a 3-2 decision over World Championships bronze medalist Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan.
The Philippine boxing team has already produced two medalists in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after Nesthy Petecio won a silver medal and Eumir Marcial settled for a bronze.
Paalam has a chance to become the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medalist in boxing if he beats Yafai.