The Nigerian pugilist lost all three rounds, with all five judges ruling in favour of Oralbay. The final scorecard read 30-26 in favour of the Kazakh, who dominated the fight from start to finish.

Oralbay, the 2022 Asian champion, stamped his authority early in the bout, knocking down Olaore towards the end of the first round, which he won 10-5. The Kazakh maintained his dominance in the second and third rounds, landing heavier and cleaner shots to secure a unanimous 5-0 decision.

The defeat ended Nigeria’s boxing campaign at the Paris Olympics, with the country’s medal drought in the sport extending beyond the Atlanta ‘96 Games, where Duncan Dokiwari won bronze in the super heavyweight division.

Olaore’s exit is particularly disappointing, given the high expectations placed on the 22-year-old. In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Sports Extra in March, the Lagos-born boxer had expressed his ambition to “return from the Olympics with gold on my neck.”

The boxer, who began his career at 14 in the United Kingdom, had been seen as a potential medalist, especially after the withdrawal of Dolapo Omole due to injury and Ogunsemilore’s doping suspension.

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