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Tag: Carlo Paalam

  • Philippine boxing boosts Asian Games preparations with overseas training 

    Philippine boxing boosts Asian Games preparations with overseas training 

    The Philippine boxing team is leaving little to chance in its bid to reclaim the top of the Asian Games podium.

     

    With the 2026 Asian Games set for September 21 to October 2 in Aichi, Japan, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) has lined up an extensive two-phase overseas training program, believing thorough preparation will be key to ending the country’s 16-year wait for an Asian Games boxing gold medal.

     

    “That’s our goal, of course,” Manalo said.

     

    The Philippines has not produced an Asian Games boxing champion since Rey Saludar captured the flyweight gold medal in Foshan, China in 2010. Since then, the country has come close but has fallen just short of returning to the top step of the podium.

     

    The closest finishes came through Charly Suarez, who settled for silver in the lightweight division at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. 

     

    Rogen Ladon duplicated the feat in the flyweight class at the 2018 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia, before Eumir Marcial added another silver in the middleweight division during the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, China.

     

    Determined to rewrite that narrative, ABAP has arranged a pair of international training camps before the continental meet begins.

     

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    “We are participating in the pre-Asian Games training camp arranged by Asian Boxing, which has two phases,” said Manalo referring to the first one in Bangkok, Thailand, and the other in Nishio City, Japan from next month to September.

     

    The overseas camps are expected to give the national boxers valuable opportunities to spar against some of Asia’s top fighters while allowing them to acclimatize ahead of the Games in Japan.

     

    Leading the Philippine campaign will be a battle-tested core composed of Olympic medalists Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Aira Villegas, all of whom are expected to spearhead the country’s quest for podium finishes in Aichi.

     

    Marcial, in particular, will now devote his full attention to the national team after the planned undercard appearance in the postponed Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather event was put on hold.

     

    “Even prior to the postponement, he has committed for the Asian Games,” said Manalo.

     

    The presence of four Olympic medalists gives the Philippines one of its deepest boxing contingents in recent memory. 

     

    Petecio and Paalam have consistently delivered on the international stage, Marcial remains one of Asia’s premier middleweights, while Villegas continues to build on her breakthrough Olympic campaign as she prepares for another major test.

     

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  • Olympic boxing medalists lead ABAP’s charge for Asian Games redemption in Nagoya 

    Olympic boxing medalists lead ABAP’s charge for Asian Games redemption in Nagoya 

    Experience will be at the heart of the Philippine boxing team’s campaign in the 20th Asian Games as the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) turns to its Olympic medalists to lead the country’s bid for podium finishes in Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. 

     

    Leading the Philippine boxing team for the September 19 to October 4 continental meet in Nagoya, Japan are Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, and Aira Villegas, whom ABAP believes possess the experience needed to contend against Asia’s best.

     

    For ABAP president Marcus Manalo, the Asian Games is not a tournament for athletes who are still learning the ropes. Instead, it is a competition reserved for boxers who have already proven they can compete on the international stage.

     

    “You’re there to get to the podium, to win medals, kung developmental ka pa hindi Asian Games ‘yong exposure, dapat ‘yong competition exposure ide-depende mo rin sa (competition level) ng athlete,” he added.

     

    Manalo stressed that earning a place on the national team requires meeting a high competitive standard rather than simply gaining experience.

     

    “Sa amin kasi you have to be at a specific level before you get to compete in the Asian Game. Sinasabi ko sa mga coaches ‘yong Asian Games hindi ‘yan pwedeng pang-exposure,” said Manalo.

     

    That philosophy explains why the federation is leaning on proven performers with Olympic success.

     

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    Petecio headlines the squad after becoming the first Filipina boxer to win an Olympic medal when she captured silver at the Tokyo Olympics before adding a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

     

    Although the 34-year-old is still recovering from eye surgery following an injury, ABAP remains confident she will be ready in time for Nagoya.

     

    “May mga restrictions pa, pero she’s been preparing for the Asian Games, so, I think we’re going to get clearance naman kasi may several months pa naman,” Manalo said.

     

    Joining Petecio are Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Aira Villegas, giving the Philippines one of its most experienced boxing lineups in recent years.

     

    ABAP is also exploring the possibility of adding professional boxer Weljon Mindoro as it seeks to field a deeper and more competitive delegation capable of challenging for multiple medals.

     

    While the federation continues to develop its younger talents, Manalo believes exposing them too early to one of Asia’s toughest sporting events could do more harm than good.

     

    “Mayroon naman tayo mga up-and-coming pero ‘yong Asian Games, it could be overwhelming rin din kasi for them, not all experience is good experience sa gantong level,” he added.

     

    Instead, ABAP plans to continue giving its emerging boxers international exposure through other competitions before entrusting them with the demands of the Asian Games.

     

    With a roster built around Olympic-tested veterans, the Philippine boxing federation is aiming to turn lessons from Hangzhou into a stronger medal campaign in Nagoya.

     

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  • Olympic Day 2026 brings Larry Fonacier, Carlo Paalam, Aira Villegas to inspire over 500 Tagaytay students

    Olympic Day 2026 brings Larry Fonacier, Carlo Paalam, Aira Villegas to inspire over 500 Tagaytay students

    The future of Philippine sports took center stage in Tagaytay as Olympic Day 2026 transformed the CT Velodrome into a training ground for young athletes dreaming of representing the country someday.


    Former Gilas Pilipinas standout Larry Fonacier, along with Olympic medalists Carlo Paalam and Aira Villegas, shared their knowledge and experience with the next generation during the celebration held on June 23.

     

    The event, organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), brought together more than 500 students from three Tagaytay City schools, giving children a chance to experience different sports while learning from some of the country’s top athletes.

     

    Maharlika Elementary School led the participation with 207 students, followed by Carlos S. Batino, Sr. Memorial Elementary School with 175 pupils and Mendez Crossing Elementary School with 131 participants.

     

    The young athletes took part in clinics covering boxing, basketball, football, baseball, taekwondo, and wrestling, with national sports association officials and coaches guiding them throughout the activities at the world-class venue.

     

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    Paalam and Villegas focused on sharing their boxing expertise, while Fonacier helped develop aspiring basketball players as part of the event’s grassroots development program.

     

    POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino emphasized that Olympic Day is more than just a celebration, it is an opportunity to inspire young Filipinos and discover future national team athletes.

     

    “This is a very important date in the Olympic Movement as we celebrate this day when Olympism and the Olympic Games were founded in 1894. It’s a day of fun and sports as we join the whole world in celebrating this day,” Tolentino said.

     

    For Tolentino, introducing sports to children at an early age could play a key role in building the country’s future international success.

     

    “It is with hope that exposing our young students to sports, we can not just encourage more youth to play sports, but we can also discover new talents who we fervently hope could add to the Olympic golds of the Philippines,” he said.

     

    The celebration was attended by several sports leaders, including Philippine Boxing Federation president Marcus Manalo, Wrestling Association of the Philippines president Ali Sulit, Philippine Karatedo Federation president Ricky Lim, and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines chairman Atty. Wharton Chan.

     

    The annual Olympic Day observance, recognized by the International Olympic Committee every June 23, continues a tradition that began in 1948. It serves as a reminder of the Olympic Movement’s values of excellence, friendship, and respect while encouraging people around the world to stay active through sports.

     

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  • Philippine Boxing Team bags four gold medals in European tournament campaign 

    Philippine Boxing Team bags four gold medals in European tournament campaign 

    From Serbia to the Netherlands, the Philippine Boxing Team under the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) delivered a statement performance, bringing home four gold medals while battling elite international opposition across two prestigious tournaments.


    Leading the charge was rising star Clark Vicera, whose breakout stretch overseas quickly turned him into one of the brightest names in the national program.

     

    Vicera first showcased his form during the 63rd Belgrade Winner Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Tournament in Serbia held from March 13 to 17, where he dominated the Men’s 50kg division with a string of commanding performances.

     

    His road to gold started with a unanimous decision victory over 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medalist Dias Berikbay of Kazakhstan in the preliminaries. From there, Vicera continued his flawless run with convincing wins against Ibrahim Aljohani of Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals and Nurzat Ongarov of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.

     

    He then capped his Serbian campaign with a gritty 4-1 split decision triumph against Salih Samet Oruc of Türkiye in the gold medal match.

     

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    While Vicera was overpowering opponents in the men’s division, veteran boxer Riza Pasuit quietly put together one of the cleanest tournament runs of the event in the Women’s 57kg category.

     

    Pasuit never surrendered a single scorecard throughout her campaign, overwhelming Victoria Vergos of Canada, Areti Stergiou of Greece, and Ece Asude Ediz of Türkiye, all via unanimous decision to secure another gold medal for the Philippines.

     

    Paul Julyfer Bascon added to the country’s medal haul after earning bronze in the Men’s 60kg division, giving the national team another podium finish against a deep international field.

     

    But the Philippine squad was far from finished, shortly after Serbia, the team headed to the Netherlands for the Eindhoven Box Cup, where Vicera once again emerged in the tournament.

     

    The young Filipino boxer claimed his second gold medal of the European campaign after defeating Sameer Ardawan of Belgium in the semifinals and Ruslan Bednychenko of Ukraine in the finals, both through unanimous decisions.

     

    Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam then added another golden finish to the Philippines’ successful campaign.

     

    After missing the Serbia tournament due to illness, Paalam wasted little time reminding everyone why he remains one of the country’s most accomplished boxers.

     

    Competing in the Men’s 55kg division, Paalam opened his campaign with a dominant 5-0 quarterfinal victory over Justin Sahin of Germany before figuring in one of the tournament’s most talked-about matches against Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist Billal Bennama of France.

     

    In a tightly contested bout, Paalam emerged victorious via a 4-1 split decision to advance to the finals.

     

    He completed his championship run in style with another unanimous decision victory against Abdul Burton of England to secure the Philippines’ fourth gold medal.

     

    More than just a medal haul, the strong showing in Europe offered a glimpse of the Philippines’ growing depth in amateur boxing — blending experienced names like Paalam and Pasuit with emerging talents such as Vicera.

     

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