Carlo Paalam will be forever celebrated for winning a silver medal, says analyst

Carlo Paalam may have fallen short of bagging gold, but he will be forever celebrated for winning a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics boxing event, according to veteran broadcaster and sports analyst Sev Sarmenta.

“It was a great run by Carlo Paalam, being so young the future looks bright for him,” Sarmenta told GMA News Online.

“Paris is just three years away, Carlo I think is looking at that, and let's hope that Nesthy (Petecio) will also look at that. This is an inspiring achievement by this team, this will inspire the next generation of boxers that we can come this close.”

Paalam, 23, pulled off a massive upset in the quarter-final when he defeated the defending champion and 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist Shakhobidin Zoirov. He went on to defeat Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka before losing via split decision at the hands of Galal Yafai in the finals.

“Yafai was capable of absorbing Paalam's punches and the knockdown in the first round made a huge difference,” said Sarmenta.

“Though we can say that it was just a point, sometimes it could leave a lasting impression with the judges. But this is not as bad as the Nesthy Petecio fight, this could have gone either way.”

For Sarmenta, Paalam has already etched his name in Philippine sports history alongside the greatest athletes the country has produced.

“In the future when people look at the records, in the same way we look at Onyok Velasco and Anthony Villanueva, they will forever be silver medalists. Even the guys who won bronze. These are places of honor,” Sarmenta noted.

“When history judges these athletes, we should salute them for their journey and achievements.”

—JMB, GMA News