Carlo Paalam shares touching moment with Galal Yafai after Tokyo 2020 Olympic match

Carlo Paalam is taking home the silver medal from the Men's Flyweight Final in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after his match against Great Britain's Galal Yafai.

He beat Japan's Ryomei Tanaka before advancing to the final round.

The 23-year-old Filipino boxer settled for second in the final round after a split decision favored Galal Yafai.

After hearing the official's final decision, Carlo graciously bowed to the referee and affectionately gave Galal a hug, leaving netizens in awe of his sportsmanship.

Videos of the heartwarming moment made rounds on the internet, winning the hearts of Filipinos.

One netizen wrote, "Silver ang medal, pero gold ang puso."

Carlo gave a speech in a press interview after his August 7 match, "Siympre [para] sa pamilya ko po. Ito po kasi, malaking bagay ito sa buhay ko. Nangangalakal lang ako dati. Naging simbolo siya sa'kin, itong medal," he said.

The Cagayan de Oro native tearfully remembered his days selling scrap metal from defective gadgets and reflected on his current victory, earning an Olympic silver medal.

"Simbolo siya sa buhay ko po. Simbolo siya ng buhay ko, kung saan ako galing," he said.

As of April 2021, Carlo has been ranked number 12 in the men's flyweight division in the Amateur International Boxing Association rankings. He marked his first Olympic match in July 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

Carlo is the fourth athlete this year to win a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Aside from Carlo's silver medal, the Philippines earned a gold medal from Hidilyn Diaz for Women's 55kg Weightlifting, a silver medal from Nesthy Petecio for Women's Featherweight Boxing, and a bronze medal from Eumir Marcial for Men's Middleweight Boxing.

Here are the other heroic athletes competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.