Carlo Paalam credits trust in self, God in upset win over Uzbek foe
MANILA, Philippines — The odds were stacked against the Philippines' Carlo Paalam when he stepped into the ring for his Tokyo Olympics boxing men's flyweight quarterfinals bout.
This was because he was up against the reigning Olympic champion, Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan.
With Tokyo being his first taste in Olympic action, Paalam was considered the underdog against the more seasoned Zoirov, who even won gold in the 2019 AIBA World Championships in Russia.
But Paalam surprised everyone with his aggressive mindset against the Uzbek champ, winning the first round on all five judges' scorecards.
It proved crucial then when Paalam and Zoirov collided in an accidental headbutt, which caused the fight to be stopped prematurely in the second round.
His no-nonsense mindset going into the ring gave him the win in points, 4-0.
For Paalam, the secret to his win over the favored Uzbek was simply his trust in himself and in God.
"Magaling talaga [yung kalaban] eh, magaling, mabilis din," Paalam told One Sports after the match.
"Tiwala sa sarili at sa Panginoon talaga po, siya yung nagbigay ng panalo dito po," he added.
Paalam became the Philippines' fourth medalist in Tokyo -- and the third from the boxing team -- after being assured of a bronze medal.
He will fight for a shot at the gold on Thursday when he faces home fighter Ryomei Tanaka in the semifinals.
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