[ad_1]
Terremoana (left) versus Bahodir Dzhalov of Uzbekistan.
photo: Facebook/teremoana_rep
Australian super heavyweight boxer Teremoana Junior Teremoana says he is proud of his achievement despite missing out on a medal at the Paris Olympics.
Tremoana, who has Cook Islands ancestry through his father, lost to defending champion Bahodir Djalolov of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Although he was disappointed that the referee did not give him the win, Tremoana said he would continue to fight and be better prepared for other international competitions.
“My Olympic journey ended with a loss to the defending champion. Although I didn’t win the match, I am extremely proud of my performance and the effort I put in.
“Maybe my time hasn’t come yet!” he wrote on Facebook.
“It has truly been an unforgettable journey. I am so grateful for the support and appreciation I have received during my Olympic journey and over the past few years. Thank you to all my sponsors for believing in me and daring me to be great. I will cherish these experiences for the rest of my life.
“Now that chapter has closed, the next one is about to begin. All glory to God because I could not have achieved anything without my faith in Christ. I embarked on this journey to represent my family and prove that with a little faith, we can accomplish anything. Although I didn’t win a gold medal, I was fulfilling my mission.
“Now, people from all over the world, from the United States, London, Ukraine, Brazil, know the name Teremoana.”
He said he had proven to the world that he was one of the best boxers on the planet.
“I learned a lot along the way and it made me a world-class athlete. I proved to the world that I am one of the best boxers on the planet,” Tremoana said.
“Reaching this goal has required countless sacrifices, not only by me but also by my entire team. They gave up time with their families and precious memories to support me in my pursuit of the gold medal.
“It’s an incredible blessing to see the world through boxing and create lasting memories with my team, who have become my second family.”
The battle was fierce
Defending champion Jalolov kept his distance from Tremoana in the first round and attacked from distance, but Tremoana was able to get in close and land several fierce strikes.
The tall Uzbek player showed more tenacity in the second and third rounds, using clean shots and less injuries, and finally won 5-0 and secured his second Olympic medal.
Tremoana told the media after the match that he believed he won the first and third rounds.
“Obviously, the judges didn’t think so,” he said.
“That’s how life is, I just have to take it all in and get better.”
According to the Australian Associated Press, since there was no bronze medal competition in this Olympics, Teremoana should have won Australia’s seventh Olympic boxing medal and the first medal in this level. This defeat means that Teremoana missed the medal.
“He had a good game plan and he ran like a cat, which was great,” Tremoana said of the first round.
“To be honest, I don’t know what the referee is looking at. You’re never going to get robbed; it’s just a game and you have to take charge of the game yourself.”
“I thought I did, but it doesn’t matter. My motto going into the Olympics was ‘Let it be, let it be’.”
Tremoana has talked a lot about this revenge fight. She has not been defeated since losing to the Uzbek player at the World Championships in Tashkent last year.
‘A little more time’
Australian boxing coach Santiago Niva told the media that his fighter won the first round.
“How could he possibly win this round by what criteria?” he said.
“I think we won the second round as well, but OK, it was close.”
Tremoana, who is proud of his grandfather’s Cook Islands heritage, said his goal in coming to Paris was to prove it was possible.
“My whole purpose here is to prove that we can do it … to be the best in the world,” he said.
“For someone like me to come out of nowhere and give him a show and embarrass him, it’s a validation.
“Give me a little more time and I’ll kill him.”
[ad_2]
Source link
