Injury hits Paalam foe

MANILA, Philippines — A freak accident in the ring has struck out Thai boxing contender Thitisan Panmod from competing in the men’s flyweight division at the Tokyo Olympics, leaving 27 hopefuls in the fray, including Filipino Carlo Paalam. Action in the 52 kilogram class begins with the Round of 32 on July 26. The Round of 16 is set on July 31, quarterfinals on Aug. 3, semifinals on Aug. 5 and final on Aug. 7.

ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said the tragedy happened during a sparring session between Thitisan and Paalam at the Muak Lek training camp in Saraburi province over a week ago. Both the Thai and Philippine boxing teams had been in the same camp for months but Picson said the Thais’ Cuban coach Omar Fuentes never matched Thitisan and Paalam in sparring until the Philippines’ Australian coach Don Abnett insisted. Last April, the Filipinos and Thais engaged in a two-day boxfest with Thitisan opting to sit out while another boxer Wuttichai Yurachai faced Paalam and lost.

“The Thais finally agreed to spar Thitisan with Carlo,” related Picson. “Unfortunately, Thitisan suffered an ACL tear in his left knee and has been ruled out of the Olympics. It happened after Carlo landed a shot to the body. Thitisan’s knees buckled and as he was about to go down, he struggled to keep his balance and stay on his feet. That was when he twisted his knee. We’re sorry it happened. Actually, Thitisan had been sparring with one of our fighters Rogen Ladon in the Thai camp but never Carlo. Rogen is a Rio Olympian and we brought him to Thailand to work with Carlo.”

Paalam, who turned 23 last Friday, made it to Tokyo as the highest-ranked Asian available via the continental quota allocation after five Asians and Australia’s Alex Winwood booked tickets at the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Amman last March. Among the Asian qualifiers is India’s Amit Panghal, Paalam’s nemesis. Paalam lost a 3-2 decision to Panghal in the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games, bowed to the Indian 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Championships and was beaten again 4-1 in the second round of the Olympic qualifiers.

Picson said the country’s four boxing qualifiers  – Paalam, middleweight Eumir Marcial, women’s featherweight Nesthy Petecio and women’s flyweight Irish Magno – are all serious medal contenders. They’re now in Tokyo with Abnett, women’s coach Boy Velasco, men’s coach Ronald Chavez and assistants Reynaldo Galido and Elmer Pamisa.