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26th July 2021
12:03pm BST

"This stuff happens every day. The better man won on the day. I did think it was a close fight and I probably could have got it myself but that's just the way it goes. "It’s been a roller-coaster getting here but I’m proud to have left everything in the ring and give it my all."There’s physically nothing I could have done more, so I’ll try and pick myself up and support the rest of the team now." Although Irvine had marginally the better of the third and final round, his slow start to the fight meant that it wasn't enough to make up the ground he had lost. Paalam was adjudged the winner on a 4-1 split decision, the cards reading 30-27, 29-28, 28-29, 30-27, 29-28 in favour of the victor. "I did study him coming into it. I knew he was going to be very explosive and jumping off from the start but I am a slow starter. I did think I won the last two rounds. That’s boxing.
"Two or three years ago I didn't think I'd be standing here, to be honest with you.
"I had a nightmare two years with injuries, trying to get back to fitness and full health and to qualify. Nobody expected me to qualify. "I was bumping into people in the street and they were saying to me, 'I thought you gave up boxing’. They just didn’t know the nightmare I had faced."I’m proud to be representing my country but I am obviously devastated. "My family are very very proud of me, well I hope so anyway but yeah, I’m just devastated."
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