08/03/2021 13:30
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 08/03/2021 13:30
The Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday experienced one of the most embarrassing episodes since its inception.
Japanese boxer
Ryomei Tanaka
advanced to the semifinals in the flyweight category after being declared the 4-1 winner of his fight against Colombian
Yuberjen Herney Martínez Rivas
, despite receiving a brutal beating that momentarily left him in a wheelchair.
Such was the punishment that the South American gave him that he forced him to withdraw like this, bloodied, from the ring of the Kokugikan Arena, although victorious, at least for the judges who saw him win the fight in
a ruling that generated the angry protest
of the Colombian team and from accredited journalists from that country.
While Tanaka secured the bronze medal, Martínez leaves Tokyo 2020 empty-handed after winning silver five years ago in Rio.
This is how Tanaka was withdrawn after being declared the winner, in a more than disputed ruling.
The "Tremendo" was superior in the first round, taking him 4-1 after sending Tanaka to the canvas. But the local fighter reacted to dominate both in the second (3-2) and the third round (5-0).
The anger of the Colombian
"I felt like the winner, I hit the best shots,
I don't know what the judges are seeing
," said the Colombian, who threw himself to the canvas after hearing the judges' ruling.
"I was staying a bit in the last round, but I felt like the winner in all three," insisted Martinez, 29. "There are many years of preparation and
that the judges see things that are not is quite painful.
I don't feel like a loser. ''
Tanaka will face this Thursday in the semifinals the Filipino
Carlo Paalam
, who defeated the Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov, of Uzbekistan, 4-0, in a lawsuit stopped in the second round by a wound to the European's eyelid, caused by a header.
"I don't know what the judges are seeing," complained Colombian Martinez.
Tanaka was not the only boxing representative from the host country of these Olympic Games "benefited" with an embarrassing ruling.
The same situation that was repeated in a bout of the women's feather category in which
Sena Irie
was declared the winner by a categorical 5-0 against the Filipino
Nesthy Petecio
, who, outraged by the result, could not contain her tears.
