MANILA – Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam is through to the semifinals of the men’s 55-kilogram boxing event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, edging China’s Jiamao Zhang via split decision on Monday afternoon at Nishio City General Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Paalam returned to the Asian Games with a clear goal of going beyond his bronze-medal finish at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. After nearly a year away from competition and skipping the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, the Filipino boxer showed he was ready for the big stage once again.
The 28-year-old Paalam immediately set the tone in the opening round, pressing forward and forcing Zhang toward the ropes. His aggressive start was rewarded as three judges gave him the round.
Paalam will next face Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan, the 2025 world champion, in the men’s 55kg semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games.
The two boxers have met before, with Paalam defeating Sabyrkhan via a 4-1 split decision in the bantamweight final of the 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan, on Nov. 12, 2022, to claim the gold medal.
Zhang came back strong in the second, using his counters to disrupt Paalam’s rhythm and taking control of the early exchanges. But the Filipino adjusted as the round progressed, becoming more selective with his punches and finding success with cleaner combinations.
Paalam’s adjustments paid off, earning the nod of four judges in the second round.
The bout became more physical in the third. Zhang brought Paalam down to the canvas in one exchange, but the Filipino remained composed and returned to his game plan using his jab, movement and quick one-two combinations to finish the fight strongly.
When the final bell sounded, Paalam had done enough to secure the split-decision victory and punch his ticket to the semifinals.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines President Marcus Manalo praised Paalam’s performance, saying the Filipino boxer set the tone early and did enough to secure his place in the medal round.
The win keeps Paalam’s bid for another Asian Games medal alive as he looks to improve on his bronze from Jakarta and continue his return to the international boxing scene. (PR)
