Disappointment for Michael Conlan as he loses final to take home a silver medal

BELFAST boxer Michael Conlan lost the flyweight final on a split decision to Andrew Selby of Wales on Saturday.

The Falls Road fighter was hoping for a gold medal but instead had to settle for a silver against defending champion Selby.

Paddy Barnes was denied a chance to win gold at the European Championships due to a fractured nose.

As Belfast Daily first revealed this morning, Barnes had to withdraw after an X-ray showed up a broken nose.

He was due to fight in the light-flyweight final on Saturday but his Russian opponent David Aryapetyan will receive the gold medal on a walkover with Barnes getting silver in Minsk.

In Conlan’s battle, judges scored the three-round contest 28-29 29-28 30-27 in favour of Selby.

Conlan has yet to beat Selby, the number one seed, in three major tournaments and the Welsh man was always in control of their bout.

John Joe Nevin secured Ireland’s first gold medal of the European Championships with a unanimous win over Mykola Butsenko of Ukraine in the bantamweight final.

The Mullingar fighter recorded a 30-27 30-27 30-27 score from the three judges.

Belfast boxer Paddy Barnes missed Euro final through a broken nose

Irish head coach Billy Walsh explained that following a meeting with Barnes, they decided he should withdraw.

“The safety of our boxers is more important than gold medals,” he said.

Barnes confirmed via social media on Saturday morning that he had sustained the injury in his first fight.

The 26-year-old’s nose was bleeding again in Friday’s semi-final victory over Salman Alizada of Azerbaijan and he needed attention from the ringside doctor during the bout.

Barnes, a gold medal winner at the 2010 European Championships and a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, had set his sights on winning gold.

He said on Twitter: “couldn’t bluff the doctors today again, had to get an x-ray and nose is broke! Broke it in my 1st fight! #raging.”