BOXING: THE ADDITION of John Joe Nevin's name to the daily lists of the fallen Irish in Beijing shouldn't cause as much grief or questioning as other casualties.
Nevin is ahead of the curve in terms of his development, and if yesterday's defeat at the hands of the Mongolian, Badar-Uugan Enkhbat, was as comprehensive as the scoring suggested, at least it was a learning experience for a talented young boxer.
Nevin lost every round to his tactically astute opponent on his way to a 9-2 defeat. The younger fighter got caught repeatedly as his overhand right failed to connect and Enkhbat countered quickly with right hooks, each time taking advantage of the hole created in Nevin's guard by his dropped left hand.
After a cautious opening by both fighters, Enkhbat scored first and fell back on his trademark style. Nevin was lucky to survive the third round in which his opponent did most of his scoring. Having been caught sharply as he over-committed himself with a big right, Nevin found himself on his knees on the canvas - more from the momentum of his missed punch than anything - but he required the formality of a standing count before resuming.
That mishap marked the effective end of Nevin's great Chinese adventure. In a fight distinguished by caution and good defensive boxing, Nevin was never going to catch up in the final round.
Billed accurately as a bout between two accomplished counter-punchers, it was important to Nevin that he not fall behind, and the opening round duly unfolded as an exercise in caginess - until the Mongolian landed a sharp right with 30 seconds left.
Nevin was forced into taking the initiative from there on, a development which suited Enkhbat who scored steadily in the next two rounds.
Repeatedly Nevin had to walk towards his opponent looking for an opening, only to find Enkhbat picking off the points with jabbing counter-punches and then retreating again.
The Mongolian led 4-1 at the end of the second, and extended that lead to 7-2 in the third, a round which effectively ended Nevin's chances of progress beyond the round of 16.
Enkhbat, the reigning Asian champion and a world silver medallist, was as elusive as quicksilver throughout, and though the Irish camp felt Nevin had perhaps scored better than the scoreline suggested, it was difficult to see how, given the requirement for a scoring punch to be clean and clear, the margin would have been any smaller if the scoring were reviewed. Enkhbat had at least as many punches which looked real but proved to be phantom.
Still, Nevin's comparative failure is one of the less poignant and least alarming stories of the Irish in Beijing. Nevin had been targeted for London 2012 by the high performance programme, until he secured Olympic qualification in Pescara, Italy, earlier in the year. This journey was always about learning.
Dreams are seductive things though, and by yesterday there was a gathering feeling among the Irish support streaming into The Workers' Gymnasium that perhaps Nevin was a medal prospect already. The fighter couldn't be blamed for having absorbed a little of the excitement.
"All I wanted to do was perform. I let him know I was there," said a tearful Nevin. "He's a silver medallist in the word championships and when I come up against that type of opponent in the ring it is hard. I am only 19. I tried my best, but 2012 is my Games. I shouldn't be here in a sense. But I am getting all the experience I need here."
Asked if he felt slightly cheated by the scoring system, Nevin graciously refused to clutch at straws.
"Ah, scoring and not getting them is a different story. The better man won at the end of the day. Once I went in I was leaving the left hand down and he was landing the right hook. He was just too good on the day. When he got the lead I had to walk onto him and he kept getting the right hook. You need to get close to him if you wanted to get points. He is a very experienced boxer.
"For me it's all experience building up to 2012. Twelve months ago a senior title was all I wanted."
"He gave a performance. You can't ask any more at that age," said Irish coach Billy Walsh before the Irish went into the huddle once more.
The final two of the five fighters who came to Beijing enter the ring today.
WHILE the achievement for Irish boxing was perhaps in getting five men to Beijing in the first place, it is only natural that under the Olympic flame dreams and ambitions lose the gravity of realism.
Each Irish exit this week has been painful even if understandable. Today Darren Sutherland and Paddy Barnes, both of whom benefited from byes in the first round, finally get their cut at the action.
Having watched and waited and fiddled with impatience for a week, the pair know that the downside of having received byes is that both will make their entrances tomorrow against accomplished opponents.
Sutherland is in action first, going into the ring early this morning Irish time against an accomplished Algerian, Nabil Kassell. Two years Sutherland's junior, Kassell won't want for experience. He competed in the last Olympics and was African champion a year later.
"Darren has a tough opponent who is very physical," said Irish coach Billy Walsh last night, "but that will suit Darren, he likes that. Lead hands aren't scoring that well here, but Darren has a very good jab and will drive an opponent's head back."
As for Barnes, he faces the Ecquadorean Jose Luis Meza in the early afternoon Irish time. Meza, a biochemist who has only been boxing for eight years, took up the sport having watched a national final as a 16-year-old.
Although described in the official Olympic biography as being 5ft 5in and right-handed, Meza was described by the Irish camp, who generally have their homework done well, as a tall southpaw and "very tricky".
"I'm looking forward to getting them into the ring," says Walsh, "they are two exciting fighters and Darren is very explosive. He could set this place alight tomorrow.
"It has been difficult for the lads waiting around but they have worked very hard. They have had no fights and every else has had two. They have been waiting and they are ready."
