Carlo Paalam to skip SEA Games

Filipino Olympian Carlo Paalam will not represent the Philippines in the boxing tournament for the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this December.

The decision to skip the SEA Games was made due to Paalam focusing on bigger tournaments next year, such as the 20th Asian Games.

“That’s what I heard. He told me that he will focus on the Asian Championships and Asian Games,” national team head coach Elmer Pamisa told Daily Tribune.

“In the Asian Games, if he’s able to play there, he might be able to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics. He’s in Cagayan de Oro because we will focus on training there,” he added.

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#MSSports | TWO Filipino boxers secured impressive wins at the start of the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, with Carlo Paalam and Junmilardo Ogayre both advancing via unanimous decisions.

Continue reading: https://t.co/xcfUt2EKPp pic.twitter.com/ifPMBBYhq4

— Manila Standard (@mnlstandardph) September 6, 2025

Paalam previously ruled the men’s 54kg division in the 2023 SEA Games after toppling Indonesia’s Aldom Sugoro. He also won a gold medal in the Flyweight division in 2019.

The Olympian captured a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics after reaching the finals but falling short against Great Britain’s Galal Yafai by split decision. 

Fellow national team teammate Ian Clark Bautista will be filling in for Paalam in the men’s 57kg category this year.

Other national boxers, such as Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, will be tasked to bring home the medals in their respective categories this December.

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