Lewis Richardson Dream To Proceed To The Olympic Finals Came To A Halt After Semifinals Defeat

By Jenniffer Achieng

Richardson was beaten 3-2 by Mexico’s Marco Verde Alvarez at Roland Garros tennis Centre where the match kicked off. The exhilarating match between the two boxers was live streamed on USA TV channel so that no one was left behind.

Richardson tried his best to qualify for finals but lost on split decision. Two of the judge’s scorecards showed that Richardson was ahead, down on one and level on the other two but in the final round the Mexican boxer was favored and given a 3-2 win.

The light –middleweight division category had six boxers, four had been sent home earlier: Delicious Orie, Roie Eccles, Pat Brown and Chantelle Reid, hence Richardson became the fifth of six GB boxers to be eliminated. Team GB left France with a single medal, with 27-year-old Richardson taking home bronze having been the last of the British squad to qualify for Paris.

For the first time Britain will not have a boxing gold medalist after Richardson’s defeat. Verde had powerful hands and displayed a range of punching which enabled him have good cross punches against his opponent leaving him with battered face, blood on it and patched up left eye.

The judge’s verdict caused a lot of fierce anger among the fans and accused them of fraud.” Lewis Richardson was denied his victory, he won the last two and third rounds but the judges awarded the Mexican boxer. This is not fair, I am really disappointed,” a fan said.

The media had the opportunity to have an interview with sports expert Steve Bunce and he felt that Richardson was unfairly beaten. “Lewis did his best in the final round to win,” said the sports expert.

“I am happy with my performance, I am proud of my performance and I believe I conducted myself with humility and I hope the country feels proud of me,” Richardson told the media as he spoke with pride.

In the finals that is the gold medal match Marco Verde will go against Uzbek boxer, Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev in Paris after the latter tackled USA’s Omari Jones in a lively match.