(Eagle News) – Filipino boxer Carlos Paalam won in the men’s flyweight quarterfinals in the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, Aug. 3, beating the defending champion, Shakhobidin Zoirov from Uzbekistan.
It was a stunning win for Paalam and a big upset for the former flyweight division champion Zoirov who won the gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The fight was stopped in the second round following an accidental clash of heads that resulted in cuts for both fighters. But Zoirov had a larger gash on his eyebrow, while Paalam had a minor cut.
Paalam won via split decision as the Filipino boxer also dominated the first round.
Paalam will next face Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the semi-finals, on Aug. 5, keeping the Philippines’ hope for another Olympic gold alive.
With his win, Paalam is assured of an Olympic bronze, along with another Filipino boxer, Eumir Marcial who knocked out Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan in the first round of the men’s middleweight quarterfinals last Sunday, Aug. 1. Both are still on the race for another Olympic gold for the country after the win by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
Another Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio was able to win a silver in her fight today, Tuesday, Aug. 3 in the women’s featherweight finals. Her opponent, Japan’s Sena Irie won the gold.
(Eagle News Service)
