CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 1 Aug)—Residents here are holding their breath as Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam heads for the quarterfinals in the 57kg category of the Olympic summer games in Paris after beating Ireland’s Jude Gallagher on Wednesday.
News of Paalam’s win immediately spread throughout the city Thursday morning with one local radio station, K5 News fm, bannering the story: “ Happy to announce the Pride of Cagayan de Oro Carlo Paalam is in the quarter finals.”
Mayor Rolando Uy issued a statement congratulating Paalam for his win against Gallagher.
“Paalam’s success is not only a great pride and honor of the country but especially to the Cagayan de Oro Amateur Boxing Team where he started his boxing career,” Uy said in a statement.
Paalam, who originally hails from Talakag in Bukidnon, transferred to Cagayan de Oro when he was six years old where he worked as garbage scavenger at the former city dumpsite in Zayas sanitary landfill in Barangay Carmen.
While in Cagayan de Oro, he pursued his interest in boxing by joining the amateur “Boxing in the Park” at the city’s amphitheater. Later, he was selected to join the boxing boot camp of former Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno where he started his boxing career.
Paalam won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 after being beaten by Great Britain’s Galal Yafai in the final rounds.
Paalam is scheduled to fight next Charlie Senior of Australia on Saturday for a spot in the semi-finals. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
