Bermuda boxer Adrian Roach saw his Central American and Caribbean Games campaign halted early after suffering defeat in his opening bout in El Salvador yesterday.

Handed a difficult challenge against the experienced Chritiann Palacio, the 21-year-old proved no match for his Venezuelan opponent, who won each of the three rounds of the 71kg contest, to comfortably claim a unanimous points decision.

Four of the five judges scored the bout 30-27, with the remaining judge scoring it 29-28, having favoured Roach in the second round, the only round he was awarded throughout.

Roach had high aspirations for the Games, which served as the initial qualifying phase for the pivotal Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October and November, which represent his first opportunity to seal his place in the Olympic Games in Paris next year.

However, having seen his hopes of clinching just one of three automatic spots up for grabs in each separate weight divisions for the Pan Am Games, he will now have to turn his attention to a second qualifying event, tentatively scheduled to be held in August.