Kiaran Macdonald’s first taste of World Championship boxing was all too short and not so sweet.
But it’s given the Sunderland boxer a taste of the big time and he’s going to be back for more. A lot more.
The 24-year-old arrived in Belgrade admitting that he would need a bit of luck of the draw if he was going to get a good run in his debut major, but there was misfortune rather than good fortune after he was paired with Yuberjén Martínez, the former Olympic finalist and Worlds bronze medallist.
Macdonald, to his credit, relished the challenge, taking a round from the Colombian and being ultra-competitive throughout at the Stark Arena, before losing on a unanimous points decision (pictured).
“It was a nightmare draw,” Kiaran told punch-lines. “I had an Olympic silver medallist in the preliminary round and also on my side of the draw was the Uzbekistan Olympic gold medallist and Kazakhstan’s Olympic bronze medallist.
“But that’s tournament boxing and you just have to get on with it and fight who’s in front of you.
“It was still good to get a bit of exposure at this level and the contest went well for a round and a half.
“I got the first round on the cards but then I think probably experience took over in the fight.
“But I’ll take the positives from the performance, the experience I gained and will be back stronger for the next major tournament next year.”
In fact, it promises to be a busy few years for the quality Sunderland ABC southpaw.
Next year it’s the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, both the European Games and the World Championships in 2023 and then the small matter of the Olympics in Paris in the summer of 2024.
“I’m looking forward to the Commonwealths,” he said. “Getting to take part in a huge sporting competition at home is something special.
“The Olympics is a couple of years after that but I’ll look at my position and see whether I go professional or put my focus on Paris.”
For all the disappointment of falling at the first fence in Serbia and for all the frustration of a Covid-affected year, 2021 has been a good year for Kiaran.
Don’t forget, he was out in Tokyo working with Galal Yafai, one of Team GB’s boxing gold medallists, plus he picked up a piece of gold himself back in May.
He won the flyweight title at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament in Lithuania with a series of highly-impressive victories.
After seeing off Scotland’s Mulligan in an all British affair, he beat home hope Marius Vysniauskas in the last four in Kaunas, before outboxing France’s Ibrahim Boukedim in the final.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: AIBA/ GB Boxing
