PHNOM PENH. – Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam dominated Edegar Foe Quintas Da Silva of Timor Leste as expected to reach the boxing finals of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday.
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Paalam, 24, proved to be an elusive target and scored a unanimous 5-0 victory in their bantamweight semifinal duel at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall G to assure himself of at least a silver medal.
Paul Julyfer Bascon knocked out Touch Davit of Cambodia in the second round to enter the men’s light welterweight finals, making it nine of 10 Filipino fighters getting a shot at the gold medal on Saturday and Sunday.
The only Pinoy casualty was Markus Cezar Tongco, who lost to Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam in the men's heavyweight semifinals via referee stoppage. He settled for the bronze medal.
The other finalists are flyweight Rogen Ladon, featherweight Ian Clark Bautista, lightweight Norlan Petecio, and light heavy John Marvin, women’s featherweight Nesthy Petecio, lightweight Riza Pasuit and Tokyo Olympian flyweight Irish Magno.
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