IT’S a dilemma that would someday soon confront the national boxing association right on the chin—Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam and medal potential Rogen Ladon vying for the same flyweight slot for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
But that decision will have to wait awhile. In the meantime, the game plan is to strategize and maximize at the ongoing Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Asian Elite Men and Women Championships in Amman, Jordan.
“It’s only temporary, it’s for this tournament only,” said Marcus Jarwin Manalo, secretary general of the Association of Boxing Alliances (ABAP) in the Philippines, referring to Paalam competing in the heavier bantamweight division and Ladon staying as a flyweight.
“We want to maximize on Carlo and Rogen so Carlo moved to bantamweight for now,” Manalo said.” He’s doing very well in training although it’s his first time to compete in the division. But his speed and high-level tactical awareness should help him against bigger opponents.”
The flyweight division is set at 51 kgs and bantamweight at 54 kgs.
But come the qualifiers for the Paris Olympics, the ABAP—and perhaps the boxers and coaches—would have to confront the dilemma.
“Bantamweight is not an Olympic weight [division],” Manalo said. “Carlo has to compete with Rogen [Ladon] for the spot if he wants to qualify again [for Paris].”
Ladon is a two-time Southeast Asian Games gold winner and a legitimate flyweight.
Paalam debuts in Amman against Turkmenistan’s Mohanov Dovlet and Ladon against South Korea’s Jo Sehyeong in the preliminary round on Friday.
The ABAP fielded 13 boxers in Amman that started Wednesday and end November. Featherweight Mario Fernandez faced hometown bet Yousef Iashash and light welterweight James Palicte battled Iraqi Jaafar Abdulreal-Sudani late Wednesday.
Also competing are Tokyo Olympics silver medalist featherweight Nesthy Petecio, minimum weight Mark Lester Durens and Althea Shine Pores, flyweight Aira Cordero Villegas, men’s lightweight Paul Julyfer Bascon, middleweight Marjon Piañar, Tokyo Olympian flyweight Irish Magno, bantamweight Marecil Dela Torre and women’s middleweight Hergie Bacyadan.
“We have limited international exposure leading to this tournament, but the boxers had a good training camp in Baguio,” Manalo said.