Amina Martha vows stronger comeback after Commonwealth Games defeat

Martha said a combination of travel delays, limited rest, an early weigh-in and inadequate recovery disrupted her preparations before last Friday's bout. While acknowledging the setbacks, she stressed they were explanations rather than excuses.

After a competitive opening round, Martha was knocked down early in the second before struggling to recover, allowing her opponent to stay ahead on the judges' scorecards throughout the contest.

"The performance wasn't what I know I'm capable of, but I refuse to let one day define me. Fatigue took its toll after a late arrival, travel delays, minimal sleep, an early weigh-in, no proper recovery and an early fight. Those were the circumstances, not excuses," said Martha.

Mackie dominated all three rounds at Hall Five, with the five judges returning scores of 30-25, 30-25, 30-26, 30-26 and 30-27 in favour of the English boxer.

"The weigh-in was at 6.30am, and my fight was the first of the day at 11am, just a few hours later. A champion isn't someone who only performs when everything is perfect. A champion is someone who shows up when nothing is. I handled the moment with courage, learned from it, and now it's back to work—stronger, wiser and hungrier," Martha added.

Team captain Boniface Mogunde is scheduled to face Scotland's Sonny Kerr in the men's 70kg Round of 16 at 10.00pm on Monday.