Carlo Paalam settled his unfinished business with Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovezov by clobbering his rival on his way to a unanimous decision victory to advance to the Round of 16 in the 2ndWorld Boxing Qualification for Paris Olympics on Tuesday night, May 29, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Paalam crushes foe, advances to Round of 16 in Paris Qualifiers
May 29, 2024 01:58 AM
At a glance
Carlo Paalam settled his unfinished business with Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovezov by clobbering his rival on his way to a unanimous decision victory to advance to the Round of 16 in the 2nd World Boxing Qualification for Paris Olympics on Tuesday night, May 29, in Bangkok, Thailand.
No longer nursing a shoulder injury that forced him to abandon his match over Ovezov in the first qualification last March, the 2020 Tokyo Olympian was more assertive this time to post 30-27 in all five judges’ scorecards in the men’s 57kg division.
The victory arranged Paalam a next fight against Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan, who escaped Jordan’s Yousef Iashash with a 3-2 triumph.
The 23-year-old also competed in the first qualification in Busto Arsizio, Italy, but lost in the Round of 32.
Bazeyan, however, was coming off a quarterfinal finish in the EUBC Elite Men & Women Championships in Belgrade, Serbia late last month.
Paalam needed three more wins to secure a berth to the Olympics as only three quotas were allocated in his weight class.
Only he and Hergie Bacyadan remain in contention for Paris tickets in hopes of joining Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.