MO NASIR'S Commonwealth Games dream is over after the Newport boxer was beaten by England's Darran Langley in Melbourne this morning.
Nasir led 7-6 after two rounds of the light-flyweight semi-final but Langley, silver medalist in the Games in Manchester four years ago, turned on the style and came away with a 19-13 victory.
The 20-year-old Welsh boxer, from the St Joseph's gym in Pill, now comes home from his first major championships with a bronze medal.
Nasir was heartbroken after his defeat but as ever put a positive spin on his loss.
He said: "I did my best and considering this is my first Commonwealth Games I'm pleased to come away with a bronze.
"It was a difficult fight against a very good boxer and I'm sure he will go on to win gold.
"I'm still learning and I'm getting better with each fight and I've learnt so much about myself out here in Melbourne.
"I'd like to thank all the fans at home and here for their support and I'm sorry that I couldn't bring a gold medal home to them.
"I was two points up and should have controlled the fight but I let him back into it and ended up having to chase the fight and he just picked me off. I'm gutted but I will bounce back from this."
Earlier Port Talbot's Darren Edwards lost 29-15 to England's Stephen Smith. Edwards was always trailing and was well bullied by his shorter opponent.
Even so, he was delighted to be going home with a bronze medal. He said: "It was a tough fight but I think the better boxer won.
"He bullied me well and caught me with some good punches and I didn't score very well. I thought it would be a close fight because the last time we boxed in the four nations championship he only beat me by a point and I even thought that I should have won it. But this time there was a big difference."
Edwards will now go back to Port Talbot and consider his future in the sport in what has been an amazing experience for him.
He said: "This whole experience has been amazing. I've met the queen, I've won a bronze medal and I've done Wales proud.
"I don't know what I'll do now. My main aim was to win a medal and that is what I've done. I've been boxing for a long time now and I don't know if I have the heart to to carry on.
"I would like to coach or do some sparring for other boxers as I'm interested in bringing youngsters into the sport.
"I'll give my medal to my gym, as this is for them, and hopefully it will inspire others to seek a future in the sport."
Cardiff postman Jamie Crees went the same way as Edwards losing to an English opponent.
However, Crees didn't last as long as Edwards with his fight against Jamie Cox lasting only one round.
Light-welterweight Crees suffered a broken nose after being caught by a wicked left hook. He was given a standard count but after receiving more punishment in a first round that saw him trail 17-4 his corner decided to stop the fight.
Crees, also comes home with a bronze medal and has backed his English opponent to win gold in the final.
He said: "He is a strong lad and caught me with a very good shot.
"I knew instantly my nose was broken and there was no point going on. I was just taking too much punishment.
"He is a great boxer and I reckon he'll take gold. I'm not too despondent. I've won bronze and I can be proud of myself for that."
Swansea's Kevin Evans fights later today.
- Indian weightlifters Edwin Raju and Tejinder Singh have tested positive for performance-enhancing substances at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, according to reports from India.
Indian officials revealed their team had been told pre-Games samples given by Raju and Singh had tested positive.
Raju finished fourth in the men's 56kg class while Singh withdrew from the men's 85kg class on Monday.
The test results have not been officially released.
Earlier today Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell denied that the anti-doping programme in Melbourne has been poorly managed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article