Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam is through to the semifinals of the men’s 55-kilogram boxing event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, edging China’s Jiamao Zhang via split decision on Monday afternoon at Nishio City General Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Paalam returned to the Asian Games with a clear goal of going beyond his bronze-medal finish at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. After nearly a year away from competition and skipping the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, the Filipino boxer showed he was ready for the big stage once again.

The 28-year-old Paalam immediately set the tone in the opening round, pressing forward and forcing Zhang toward the ropes. His aggressive start was rewarded as three judges gave him the round.

“Ang ginawa ko lang dito is ‘yung normal ko lang na ginagawa. Makinig sa mga coaches ko. Pag tinamaan ako, ibabalik ko ng mas malinis. Inisip ko na ‘wag magmadali, kinokontrol ko lang yung emosyon ko. So, diskarte sa ibabaw ng ring talaga ‘yung nagpanalo din talaga sa akin,” he said.

Paalam will next face Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan, the 2025 world champion, in the men’s 55kg semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games.

The two boxers have met before, with Paalam defeating Sabyrkhan via a 4-1 split decision in the bantamweight final of the 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan, on November 12, 2022, to claim the gold medal.

“Lahat naman kami rito preparado. Kung sino man nakalaban ko last year, iba na rin siya ngayon kasi nag ensayo na rin. Lahat kami rito taon-taon nag-iimprove. One step at a time lang. Walang lugar para magkamali ngayon oara maabit natin yung ginto para sa bansa.”

Zhang came back strong in the second, using his counters to disrupt Paalam’s rhythm and taking control of the early exchanges. But the Filipino adjusted as the round progressed, becoming more selective with his punches and finding success with cleaner combinations.

Paalam’s adjustments paid off, earning the nod of four judges in the second round.

The bout became more physical in the third. Zhang brought Paalam down to the canvas in one exchange, but the Filipino remained composed and returned to his game plan using his jab, movement, and quick one-two combinations to finish the fight strongly.

When the final bell sounded, Paalam had done enough to secure the split-decision victory and punch his ticket to the semifinals.

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines President Marcus Manalo praised Paalam’s performance, saying the Filipino boxer set the tone early and did enough to secure his place in the medal round.

“He was able to set the tone and essentially finished the bout after two rounds. The last round he just have to maintain the lead na lang. Very proud of his performance at ngayong naka-apak na siya sa medal round, I’m sure he’s more motivated na ituloy-tuloy pa.”

The win keeps Paalam’s bid for another Asian Games medal alive as he looks to improve on his bronze from Jakarta and continue his return to the international boxing scene.