Paalam seeks to end PH boxing’s 16-year gold medal drought

Manila Times - Oct 1, 2026

FILIPINO Olympian Carlo Paalam will vie for the men’s 55-kilogram (kg) boxing gold medal in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Friday. The last Filipino boxer standing in the ongoing games, Paalam will take on hometown bet Rui Yamaguchi as he tried to end the 16-year gold medal drought of Philippine boxing in the Asian Games. Paalam, a two-time Olympic medalist, will have experience on his side when he exchanges blows with Yamaguchi, a 22-year-old 2026 Asian Boxing Elite champion, on Friday at 12:45 p.m. (Manila time) at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. The last time the Philippines won a gold medal in boxing was in 2010 when Rey Saludar topped the men’s 52-kg division in Guangzhou, China. Paalam, a crafty orthodox boxer who surprises his opponents by switching to a southpaw stance, needs to overcome Yamaguchi's tactical and technical game. An interesting similarity to point out is that both fighters are naturally right-handed but use an orthodox stance in their bouts. Amateur boxing relies more on the punches thrown and connected compared to professional boxing. Amateur boxers don’t usually focus on delivering the knockout blows but rather use tactics to land better punches. The Japanese boxer reached the gold medal round after a...

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