The city government welcomed Thursday the homecoming of Olympic medalist Carlo Paalam after his recent win in an international boxing tournament.

Mayor Rolando Uy, who received Paalam and his team during a courtesy visit, congratulated Paalam for winning the gold medal at the Asian Boxing Confederation’s Elite Boxing Championships 2022 held in Amman, Jordan on Nov. 13.

Paalam clinched the gold medal via a 4-1 split decision win over Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan in the men’s 54-kilogram bantamweight finals.

During a talk show interview hosted by former mayor Oscar Moreno a day earlier, Paalam said his opponents were taller than him, despite having the same weight.

“I have to be careful with their moves, they have the reach advantage,” he said.

Paalam, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said he will always be proud to represent the city and the country in boxing competitions.

Meanwhile, Uy vowed they will continue to help budding athletes through the city government sports programs similar to what Moreno started, where Paalam was one of its standouts. (PNA)