Carlo Paalam and Gu Hong are silver medallists in the Tokyo Olympic Games
Four final contests were held in the fourteenth competition day of the Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan’s capital today. Philippines amazed in the whole Olympic event, their flyweight (52kg) youngster Carlo Paalam claimed silver medal today. China’s three-time ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Gu Hong also achieved silver after a tough final battle.
The finals of the women’s flyweight (51kg), women’s welterweight (69kg), the men’s flyweight (52kg) and the men’s middleweight (75kg) were held in the fourteenth competition day of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Altogether 70 Asian boxers including 26 women and 44 men from 15 countries are able to represent their nations in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. The final number of the boxers is 289 in the Games where thirteen champions will be crowned in Tokyo. Among the Asian nations, Japan, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, India, Thailand, China and Uzbekistan won at least one medal in Tokyo.
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam claimed silver medal in Tokyo
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam robbed into the world of boxing in 2016 when he claimed bronze medals at the ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships and at the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. He joined to the elite national team in 2017 and earned bronze medal at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. Paalam decided to move up to the flyweight (52kg) in 2019 to give himself chance to qualify to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old Filipino worked hard in the recent one and half year focusing to his strength and technical skills to be in top form in Tokyo. Paalam eliminated Uzbekistan’s Olympic Champion Shakhobidin Zoirov and Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the previous two rounds in Tokyo with outstanding performance. The Filipino met with Great Britain’s Galal Yafai in the Olympic final which was a big surprise in this weight class.
Yafai, who competed already in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, was strong enough in the first round and shocked the six-years younger Filipino with powerful attacks. Yafai moved ahead and caught Paalam with tough shots in the opening period when the referee counted the Filipino talent. Paalam returned to the beginning of the second round with nice hooks and he changed the rhythm to catch the British boxer. The Southeast Asian Games winner gave in everything and their final turned into a manly fighting but in that game Yafai was slightly better. Paalam was fresh in the third but his efforts were not able to turn back their Olympic final in Tokyo and claimed silver medal. Philippines achieved two silver and one bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games which is their best ever performance.
China’s Gu Hong achieved silver medal in Tokyo
China’s Gu Hong joined to the national in 2015 and quickly won the ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships in that year. She claimed three Asian titles in the previous years and won two silver medals in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Gu qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games with her gold medal at the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.
Gu met with Turkey’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Busenaz Surmeneli in the final of the women’s welterweight (69kg) and she knew her European rival well enough from previous events. The Chinese boxer tried to use her longer reach in the first round and her long distance tactic paid off in the opening minutes. The Argentinean referee gave a warning to Gu Hong in the beginning of the second round and he counted the Chinese boxer in that period therefore the attacking Turkish boxer was able to make a comeback. Gu used her better technical skills but Surmeneli’s hand was raised after the last gong in Tokyo.
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