SPORTS FACTS AND FIGURES 33: CARLO PAALAM, ROGEN LADON WIN IN THE BOXAM ELITE TOURNAMENT IN SPAIN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 02 Feb 2024
Paalam (L) and Ladon (R).
Carlo Paalam and Mark Ashley Fajardo won their opening fights in their respective divisions in the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Nucia, Spain.
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Paalam, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, outpointed his Mexican opponent Miguel Fernando Vega via a 4-1 victory to move to the quarterfinals of the men’s 57kg category. He will face Ewart Andres Marin Hernandez, who also won over France’s Samuel Kistohurry, with the same score of 4-1.
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Fajardo, who first saw action in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, also overruled Belgian Yassine Arfa with a 5-0 win in the men’s 63.5kg category. But Fajardo lost to England’s Cameron McKay, two-time national champion, in a close 3-2 decision in the second round of the men’s 63.5kg.
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The tournament is part of the Philippine team’s preparations for the 2024 Olympic qualifiers. Only Eumir Marcial has so far qualified for Paris.
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Rogen Ladon, who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, edged Scott Richards of Wales with a close 3-2 decision in the men’s 51kg even while Aira Villegas trounced Irish foe Caitlin Fryers with a unanimous 5-0 decision to advance to the next round of the women’s 50kg division.
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The victory earned Ladon a semis bout against Mexican Ari Bonilla, who earned an opening round bye before outscoring Hungarian Attila Bernath, 4-1.
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Villegas will engage in a semifinal bout with England’s Kelsey Oakley, who won impressively in her first assignment with a 5-0 pummeling of Hungary’s Petra Mezei.
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Chavez was defeated in the men’s 71kg by Uzbekistan’s Asadullaev Khavaskbek, 5-0, and Pasuit was beaten 4-1 by Kazakhstan’s Aidana Zabynbekova in the women’s 60kg.
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Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan are scheduled to face their respective foes in the next few days. Petecio will fight France’s Sthelyne Grosy in the opening round of the women’s 57kg, while Bacyadan drew an opening round bye in the women’s 75kg and will fight the winner between Hungary’s Veronika Nakota and Mexico’s Citlalli Ortiz.
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Sports History: February 2, 1980. Salvador Sánchez became WBC world featherweight champion by defeating Danny “Little Red” Lopez by a 13th round TKO.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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