Barnes eyes more success

The 21-year-old fighter said his next aim was to bring home a "better coloured medal'' from the London Games in 2012.

The Ardoyne fighter and fellow medallists Darren Sutherland and Dubliner Kenny Egan got a heroes' welcome when they touched down in Dublin Airport with the Irish Olympic team.

The winning trio got the largest cheers of the day when they were met by hundreds of chanting supporters in the arrivals hall.

Barnes said he could not wait to get home to celebrate with his parents Paddy senior and Ellen when they arrive home from Beijing later in the week.

The couple were at the ringside at the Workers Arena when the young boxer, from the Holy Family club in Belfast, was beaten 15-0 by the double world champion and home Chinese favourite Zou Shiming.

Immediately after his light-flyweight defeat, a bitterly disappointed Barnes said the bronze medal was for 'losers' and questioned the method of the judging panel.

But he has insisted he was later happy with his win.

"Just after the fight I said a lot of things I shouldn't have said, but that was in the heat on the moment,'' he said.

"I regret saying it all except for what I said about the judges.''

Barnes said Zou won the bout fairly, but said not scoring one point was embarrassing.

"I wasn't disgusted at the result, just the scoreline,'' he continued.

"There's no doubt in my mind I lost the fight, but getting no points at all was a bit embarrassing when I did hit him.

"He (Zou) won bronze in the last Olympics. He's was one of the best boxers I've ever fought in my life. He deserved to win.''

Barnes said his next challenge is the European qualifiers and London Games in 2012 when he said he will be older and wiser and will "bring home a better colour''.

"Hopefully by 2012 it'll be better, I'll be 25 and bring home the gold,'' he said.

Barnes added that the achievement of the whole Irish boxing team was fantastic, adding the silver medal-winning Egan was a great team captain.

"He was there the first day and the last day and he just led the way,'' he added.

"He showed us what he did.''