Best showing for Team PH in Olympics

As boxer Carlo Paalam claimed a spot in the semis of the flyweight category Tuesday, his sure podium finish gave the Philippine Team its fourth medal in the Tokyo Olympics.

That assured the country its best showing since joining the greatest sporting event 89 years ago.

It was during the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics when the national team won three bronze medals courtesy of Simon Toribio in high jump, boxer Jose Villanueva in the bantamweight class and swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso in the 200-meter breaststroke of aquatics competition.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz earlier captured the country’s first gold medal since the Philippines first joined in the 1924 Paris meet, while boxer Nesthy Petecio took a silver.

Paalam and Eumir Marcial are already assured of a bronze medal each.

On Thursday, Paalam battles hometown bet Ryomei Tanaka in their flyweight bout, while Marcial collides against Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak in their middleweight match.

Reigning US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan will start their campaign in women’s golf Wednesday at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Japan.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez is proud of what Team Philippines has done so far in Japan.

“We are very happy of what our athletes achieved in Tokyo Olympics,” said Ramirez in a text message to Manila Bulletin.