Gold medals beckon Petecio, Paalam

BOXERS Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio are motivated more than ever after earning berths to the Tokyo Olympics by virtue of their world rankings.

“I’ll do my very best because this is just a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Paalam, who at 22 is the second youngest Filipino qualifier for Tokyo after 21-year-old world champion gymnast Carlo Yulo. “It’s a dream of every amateur boxer to fight in the Olympics, so I really have to make the most of it.”

For Petecio, the wait was all worth it. “My mindset is now nailed on my Olympic campaign,” said Petecio, who won the women’s featherweight gold medal in the International Boxing Association 2019 World Championships in Ulan-ude, Russia.

“Besides my family and the country, I am dedicating my campaign to my best buddy Alexcel Dargantes,” she added. Dargantes, also a member of the women’s national team, passed away last February 13.

“She [Dargantes] really wanted me to fight in the Olympics—and this is it. She’s in my dreams and she’s my wallpaper on my ipad.”

The Olympic Boxing Task Force of the International Olympic Committee canceled the qualifier supposedly set in June in Paris and went to the world rankings instead to fill up the remaining slots to the games set for July 23 to August 8.

Paalam and Petecio were high in the rankings, sparing them of the complications of the qualifier. The country hiked its Tokyo qualifiers to six with boxers Eumire Felix Marcial and Irish Magno and pole vaulter EJ Obiena clinching their berths last year.

Paalam said his coaches at the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines are working on his counter-punching.

“Everyone who’ll be in Tokyo worked hard to get there so I have to prepare seriously and work hard myself,” said the Cagayan de Oro City pug who is ranked No. 12 in men’s flyweight.

Paalam has been sparring with Rio 2016 Olympian Rogen Ladon and Marvin Tabamo at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble before the team flew to Thailand for a training camp.

“I’ve been around for quite some time and that gives me an edge,” said Petecio, No. 5 in AIBA’S women’s featherweignt ranking. “My coaches tell me that I am a strong puncher. But for me, I want to develop a one-punch knockout.”