Commonwealth Games controversy erupts as Brit ‘robbed’ of gold medal | Other | Sport

The Commonwealth Games has been clouded in controversy after English boxer Dimeji Shittu was said to have been “robbed” of a gold medal in Glasgow. Shittu suffered a surprise defeat to India’s Ankush Panghal, despite appearing to dominate proceedings, as Panghal saw his hand held aloft at the end of their men’s 80kg final.

Shittu convincingly took the opening round but was slapped with a two-point deduction in the second and third rounds for what the referee deemed to be holding and hitting. Judges eventually scored the contest 4-1 in the Indian boxer’s favour, with commentators left completely baffled.

Four of the judges awarded Panghal the final round.

The outcome left 24-year-old Shittu visibly distraught and TNT Sport commentators utterly bewildered, while the crowd jeered the announcement when it was confirmed.

“Shocking, terrible, totally robbed,” said co-commentator Richie Woodhall. “He [Ankush] certainly had the referee on his side there and the referee has cost Dimeji Shittu the contest.

“He’s been robbed there, I really feel for him.

“How did [Ankush] win that last round on the judges’ scores? That is absolutely terrible. Shocking decision. Totally robbed and that’s not sour grapes.”

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Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist boxer Delicious Orie shared Woodhall’s exasperation, suggesting that AI scoring would be one method to enhance judging in boxing.

He also noted that the absence of warnings to Shittu was baffling. “In my opinion, it was a total robbery,” he said in the TNT Sports studio.

“I think the referee has stripped that gold medal from Dimeji.

“There’s this thing in boxing, because it’s subjective, the refereeing is subjective, the judging is subjective… I’ve been hearing stories that it would be good to potentially add AI judging into boxing.

“I wouldn’t necessarily be against it because then it becomes an objective sport. In track and field, you’re running to the line, you can’t argue with time.

“If I knew there was a specific set of scoring, then bring AI, because I would follow that scoresheet instead of someone else’s opinion. That can be the difference, as we’ve seen here, between a gold and silver medal.

“It’s a real shame for Dimeji. He scored some really good points, he pushed his opponent back. I don’t know what the referee was thinking. There weren’t even any warnings, so to give him two point deductions really doesn’t make any sense to me.

“I’m no ref, but speaking to Dimeji, stopping the fight, looking him in the face and saying ‘don’t do it again’. That’s enough for him to not do it again. Essentially stripping that gold medal is no good.”

Shittu himself declined to apportion blame to the referee, saying after the bout: “A lot of people might say this about the referee, the judging, but at the end of the day I can only blame myself.

“Those are the rules. We live and we learn. At the end of the day, it’s a foul in amateur boxing. It cost me the fight.

“If people think I should have got the decision, fair play, I understand.

“But if I’m sitting here blaming judges, blaming refs, I’m not going to get better.”