JOE Cordina was unable to stem the flow of Team GB boxers exiting the Rio Olympics today, and the Welshman admitted he could have few complaints, writes Ben Baker.

Monday was a day to forget for the Great British boxing contingent in Brazil, with only Josh Kelly winning as Galal Yafai, Antony Fowler and Lawrence Okolie all exited the tournament.

Lightweight Cordina was looking to follow in Kelly’s footsteps rather than the other three, as he took on number five seed Hurshid Tojibaev of Uzbekistan with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

But it wasn’t to be as 24-year-old Cordina couldn’t build on a solid opening round and lost on a split decision, with one judge scoring the contest a draw and the other two opting in favour of Tojibaev.

The Uzbek fighter was deducted a point in the second round but it still wasn’t to be for Cordina, who was full of praise for his victor.

“It was a tough fight,” he said. “He was very, very hard hitting and he hit me a lot in the body and slowed me right down.

“He slowed me right down in the last round and I couldn’t pick it back up, he was a tough opponent.

“I know I can beat him, but it is what it is and the better man won on the day. I look at anyone and I think I can beat them, I have got all the attributes and the skills to beat anyone in this tournament.

“It is just getting it right on the day. He had a game plan and he was pretty successful going to the body. Even his little jabs, it was surprising how hard he hit and how much a jab to the body can slow you down.

“I felt I won the first round and the second round was a bit shaky but he had a point off and I felt I had done enough in that round.

“But he slowed my right down with shots to the body and he slowed me right down in the third.”

But while Cordina’s Rio 2016 assault might be over, he is not prepared to rule out another crack at Olympic glory in four years time.

“I am a GB boxer at the end of the day and I will go back and see what we want to do,” he added.

“There is the Commonwealth Games and then maybe another Olympic cycle, who knows.”

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