Carlo Paalam advances to the final of the men’s 55kg boxing event at the 2026 Asian Games after beating Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion Makhmud Sabyrkhan in Wednesday’s semifinal in Aichi, Japan. The outlets describe Paalam as winning a close bout despite being penalized during the contest.
Inquirer.net reports the semifinal is decided by split decision, 3–2, with two judges scoring 29–27 for Paalam. It also notes Paalam receives a one-point deduction but still earns the nod. GMA News similarly highlights that Paalam defeats Sabyrkhan to move closer to the gold medal match. Rappler frames the result as giving Paalam a shot at ending the Philippines’ 16-year wait for Asian Games boxing gold.
