The Philippines has produced some of the most elite fighters in the sport, and it looks like it won’t stop anytime soon. Carlo Paalam is another name to watch; as of this writing, the Cagayan de Oro native is assured of a silver medal in the men’s flyweight boxing competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is now looking to be the Philippines’ second ever Olympic gold medalist. Here’s what you need to know about the young fighter.
He was a scavenger as a boy
He was born in Bukidnon on July 16, 1998. Part of his childhood was spent in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental before his father settled in Cagayan De Oro. As a child, Paalam worked as a scavenger who dug through the city’s sanitary landfill, looking for anything that would be worth selling. He continued this job when he started taking up boxing.
From the town plaza to the world stage
Family call thank you lord time ka usap sila para wala Yung pagod ko I love you to all god bless you ❤🙏 pic.twitter.com/5Titpg8nhR
— Carlo Paalam (@CarloPaalam2) August 3, 2021
After seeing Carlo slug it out in a backyard boxing match, it was his neighbor who convinced him to pursue boxing. The neighbor told young Carlo to try it out at a local boxing match. The winner would receive P200, while the loser would claim P150. Carlo claimed his first amateur fight victory at seven years old, and he used the prize money to buy rice for his family.
He was discovered “at the Park”
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Sports officials discovered the immense potential of the boy when he fought at a local boxing match called “Boxing at the Park”. After spending two more years working at the sanitary landfill, officials finally took him in for proper training in 2009.
He is a SEA Games gold medalist
Paalam won his first career gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. There, he claimed a unanimous decision victory over Indonesia’s Kornelis Langu to win the men’s light flyweight competition.
He bagged a medal in the Asian Games
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Paalam also captured a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, adding to his impressive amateur boxing accolades.
He scored an upset win over the defending Olympic champion
🇵🇭 Carlo Paalam can’t contain his emotions after his quarter-final win in #boxing – men’s fly 48-52kg at #Tokyo2020
What a moment.#UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/FKEtja4T54
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) August 3, 2021
Paalam nabbed one of the biggest victories of his amateur boxing career in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He defeated Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan via split decision in the quarterfinals of the men’s flyweight boxing competition. Zoirov, a professional, was the gold medalist of the same competition in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He is an alumnus of the University of Baguio High School
Carlo was a student-athlete at the University of Baguio. He took up senior high school at the institution. Fellow Olympic boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, and Irish Magno also hail from the university.
He’s got moves
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Aside from being one of the best amateur boxers in the country, Carlo finds himself some time to show off some dance moves. Here’s a video of him dancing to “Chinita Girl.” The future looks bright for this young champion, so he’s got plenty of reasons to dance already.
