Boxing champion Bakhtovar Nazirov has admitted that he "expected more" from his opponent in the final of the men's batamweight division at the European Games in Baku.
The Russian defeated Dzmitry Asanau of Belarus on a split points decision this afternoon, securing the gold medal.
The 21-year-old told reporters: "I expected more, a harder fight in the final. My first round went well, then in the second I relaxed a little bit and lost. In the third round all the judges have given me more points. I am very happy and I think the judges' decisions were fair.
"My coach helped me a lot in this fight. He was telling me to show box, not to get involved in a fight. He told me to think with my head and be less emotional, as he saw that the situation in the ring was getting more intense and that [can] affect my emotional shape.
"Getting to the semifinal was already an achievement, though I managed not to relax. I showed good technique in the final match. It has been a long route to my gold medal. I am relaxed right now. I have passed my doping test. I feel happy and very proud."
Russia sit at the top of the medal table with 59 golds and 123 medals in total.
Sian Cowper
