Agency :
Eldric Sella went through an arduous journey to get to Tokyo, spending years visualising himself throwing punches in the Olympic boxing ring but when his Games experience finally became a reality on Monday as it lasted only 67 seconds.
Representing the Refugee Olympic Team in middleweight, the Venezuelan-born Sella was facing Dominican Republic’s Euri Cedeno in his opening bout but found himself lying on the floor after a few seconds.
He got up in time to survive the referee’s count but a minute had just passed when another powerful jab from Cedeno caught his face, leaving him frozen for a second.
The referee would allow no more as he felt the 24-year-old was clearly out of his depth and awarded the fight to Cedeno.
Sella did not want to leave the ring so early after all his efforts to get there.
