BRETT McGinty had to settle for a silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games after narrowly losing out to Mohammed Harris Akbar in this morning’s 69kgs final in Apia.
The Bradford boxer took a majority decision for a 2-1 win over McGinty.
McGinty had beaten Ryan Scaife from New Zealand and Jack Gipp of Australia to reach the final in Samoa.
Akbar stopped Daniel Bonne from the Seychelles in his semi-final after getting a bye through the quarter-finals.
There was little to separate the boxers in a tense and tactical final, with Akbar only just getting the better of the powerful St Johnston man.
Oakleaf ABC puncher McGinty follows the lead of Ballyshannon’s Paddy Doherty, who won a bronze medal at the senior Commonwealth Games in 1970, which were staged in Edinburgh.
McGinty now has the silver to rest alongside his European Schoolboys Championship bronze medal from 2012.
“It was a brilliant display by Brett, who is the baby of the Northern Ireland team,” said Eugene O’Kane senior from the Oakleaf ABC.
“He was under a lot of pressure, but it is some achievement to win a silver medal at these Games.”
Stephen McKenna, James McGivern and Aidan Walsh will return with gold medals, but Tiarnan Bradley was beaten in his final, meaning he brings home a silver medal.
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