Paalam 1 win away from Olympic boxing berth

MANILA, Philippines -- Carlo Paalam outsmarted Jose Luis Delos Santos Feliz via unanimous decision Friday night in the 2nd World Boxing Qualification to Paris Olympics to move a step closer to making a return trip in the quadrennial games.

Paalam used his experience to overwhelm Delos Santos Feliz, whom the former beat by drawing the nod of all five judges — three scoring it, 29-28, and the other two, 30-27 — and advanced to the semifinals.

There, the Tokyo silver winner will clash with dangerous Indian Sachin Siwach, who edged Frenchman Samiel Kistohurry in a 4-1 split decision.

A win would book Paalam a ticket to the French capital where has a chance to claim the medal that slipped away in the Tokyo Games — an Olympic gold.

The result also afforded Paalam another box-out should he end up losing to Sachin since three slots are being staked in the men’s 57-kilogram division.

But Paalam for sure will go for nothing less than a victory.