Carlo Paalam’s hopes of winning a medal in the Asian Games came to an end on Tuesday night, October 3, as he was beaten by reigning world champion Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan.

Khalokov took a 5-0 unanimous decision victory in their quarterfinal match in the men’s 57-kilogram weight class at the Hangzhou gymnasium.

The Uzbek fighter, who won the featherweight division of the IBA men’s world boxing championships in May, is now assured of at least a bronze medal in the Hangzhou Asiad.

For Paalam, the loss also means that he will not be able to secure a ticket to next year’s Paris Olympics via the Asian Games.

Only the finalists in each weight category will clinch their spots in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

He also fell short of duplicating his achievement in the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta, where he won a bronze while fighting in the flyweight division.

“Ubusan kami ng talino sa ring talaga. Sobrang ganda at happy ako sa laro ko,” Paalam said.

“Blessing din sa akin kasi hindi rin ako basta basta sa kanila, takot din sila,” he said.

“Ginawa ko ‘yung best ko. Wala akong pinagsisihan. Hindi ako nadismaya sa sarili [ko] kasi ginawa ko ‘yung best ko. Pinaglaban ko ‘yung flag ng Pilipinas,” he added.

Paalam is fighting in the heavier weight class after winning a silver medal in the men’s 52kg division in the Tokyo Olympics.

That category is now defunct.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist will now shift his attention to the world championships, where he will try to secure a place in next year’s Paris Games.

Eumir Marcial is the last boxer standing for Team Philippines in the Asian Games.

A bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020, Marcial will gun for a shot at gold and an automatic berth in Paris when he fights Ahmad Ghousoon of Syria in the semifinals of the men’s 80kg class. (ABS-CBN News)