Dimeji Shittu Loses Commonwealth Final After 2 Point Deductions as England Takes 4 Boxing Golds
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 1
Dimeji Shittu Loses Commonwealth Final After 2 Point Deductions as England Takes 4 Boxing Golds
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 1
Summary
Dimeji Shittu settled for silver after losing England’s Commonwealth boxing final to India’s Ankush Panghal, despite winning the opening round on all five judges’ cards.
Two point deductions in rounds two and three for dipping his head left Shittu trailing, but four judges still awarded Panghal the final round, meaning he would have lost even without the penalties.
Richie Woodhall and other pundits called the officiating “shocking” and said the referee had cost Shittu the contest, reviving scrutiny of amateur boxing judging.
Shittu, 24, declined to blame officials afterward, saying the fouls were within the rules and that focusing on judges and referees would not help him improve.
England finished the Glasgow boxing program with four golds, three silvers and three earlier bronzes, while the controversy renewed debate over whether AI could improve scoring transparency.
Did strict safety enforcement cost England a boxing gold, or was Dimeji Shittu truly robbed by subjective judging in Glasgow?
Could artificial intelligence have prevented Dimeji Shittu’s controversial Commonwealth Games boxing defeat, or will automated judging destroy the sport's human element?