Emotional Nick Okoth asks for forgiveness after failing to bag an Olympic medal

Despite receiving all possible boxing honors and medals, Kenya’s pound-for-pound champion, Nick Okoth, failed to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after losing to Mongolia’s Erdenebatyn Tsendbaatar.

It was a tasteless end to a long and arduous pursuit of the much-coveted Olympic medal for the 39-year-old.

With his prime long gone, it’s unlikely he’ll get another chance to win an Olympic medal when the games return in 2024.

“I have won all the medals I would have wanted to win in boxing and the Olympics one is the one that I wanted, but unfortunately I was not lucky to get it,” Okoth said after losing the bout.

At the heart of his anguish, is the conviction that he won the match, which was awarded 3-2 to the Mongolian.

Okoth, who was struggling to control his emotions in a video posted online shortly after his defeat, said the victory was snatched from him.

“Ni jamaa hanijui, mimi humuona akicheza, round two nikaona hayuko, coach akaniambia nimeshinda, then round three nikajua nimemchapa, then wakasema ameshinda,” Okoth said.

He apologized to his Kenyan fans, saying in sheng ‘nilicheza kaa mimi, but ikakuwa hivyo,’ seemingly implying that despite putting his best foot forward—or fist in this case—he fell short of retiring in style.

“I have done my best, from here nawaachia wengine, najua wameona kila kitu ni possible,” he added.