IN his toughest fight so far, Carlo Paalam went through the wringer yesterday before beating Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan 4-1 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the 57kg division in the 2nd World Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Hua Mak Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The final score showed Paalam, a silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, as the clear winner but the fight was really a struggle, with three judges calling the bout even at 28-all after four rounds.
“Ibibigay ko ang buong best ko para sa Pilipinas kong mahal,” said Paalam, who was deducted a point in the last round that proved crucial.
A return ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris will be within reach of Paalam if he beats Jose Luis De Los Santos of the Dominican Republic tonight (Friday).
