Split decision goes against ‘complacent’ Le Poullain

But, as Le Poullain admitted, he had only himself to blame for the points loss to Pakistani Gul Zaib.

‘Maybe I was a little complacent,’ he admitted later while with family soaking up the Gold Coast atmosphere.

‘I started a little bit slow and perhaps gave him a little bit more respect than I should have in the first round and did not let my hands go,’ he added.

‘I was too eager and at the same time too tense and not relaxed enough.

‘If I’d been boxing him at a club show back in Guernsey I’d have beaten him for sure. I hurt him but I just didn’t have the extra gear to go through here.’

He was at a loss to explain why that was.

‘I wouldn’t say it was the occasion that got to me, but I certainly did not perform as I should have.

‘The preparation had gone really well and that’s why it’s so disappointing.

‘I was sparring with some really good GB lads and felt really good.’

Le Poullain, who was watched by several members of his family and had coaches Ben Duff and Simon Weaver in his corner, said he will be back better and stronger for Birmingham in four years’ time.

The defeat will not deter him, he insists.

As for Zaid, Le Poullain insisted it was not a case of sour grapes, but he did not consider the Pakistani will get any further.

‘He’s got a good Irish lad [Aidan Walsh] next and I’d been thinking that if I won I’d have to box well to get past him.’

The Algerian referee, Sid Mokretari, was a fan of the Guernsey fighter, awarding him all three rounds in a 30-26 card.

The Moroccan judge Abderrahim Ammour considered that the man in all red won the first two and dropped the third, but the Indian Farhad Engineer, Azerbaijani Fuad Aslanov and Fijiian Seru Whippy, all scored it 29-28 for the Pakistani in the blue corner.

Guernsey’s first ever Commonwealth boxer thought he had a good chance as the boxers awaited the verdict.

‘I wasn’t sure really,’ he said.

‘I gave the first round away, but I thought I won the second and probably nicked the third.’