The AIBA’s response to Michael Conlan’s corruption claims is difficult to take

In other words, "tough shit."

Michael Conlan was on the warpath after being on the end of a highly controversial judges' decision at the Rio Olympics. The 24-year-old was understandably furious after Vladimir Nikitin was somehow awarded a unanimous decision in their quarter-final bout. Conlan, speaking to Irish broadcaster RTE just after leaving the ring, lashed out at the AIBA, the organisation that runs amateur boxing. "Yeah, AIBA are cheats. They’re fucking cheats," Conlan said. "That’s me. I’ll never box for AIBA again. They’re cheating bastards who are paying everybody. "My dreams have been shattered now. Do you know what? I’ve a big career ahead of me. And these ones? They’re known for being cheats and they’ll always be cheats. Amateur boxing stinks from the core right to the top." The association were never going to respond by supporting Conlan's comments, but the response of an AIBA spokesperson in Rio reeks of "tough shit" for the Irish fighter. "Michael is a current world champion and he came here with high expectations," the official said.

"His disappointment is massive, we can all understand that. It's his personal judgement (his comments on the AIBA). AIBA is striving for a fair, level-playing field. The idea is not to benefit one country towards another."

The official's final line is difficult to take considering the blood, sweat and tears that goes into reaching such an elite level of the sport, as Conlan has. The Belfast boxer is the Commonwealth, European and World champion, and an Olympic bronze medallist. He had been preparing for the Games for the past four years, flew his family to Rio to watch him in action and had hoped to enter professional boxing with the prestige that an Olympic gold medal brings. The spokesperson rounded off the statement by saying:

"These (Conlan's) statements are foundless, but he's free to have his opinion."

That has to hurt more than anything the limited Nikitin threw in Conlan's direction. Read more: