JOE WARD BOWED out of the World Boxing Championships with a bronze medal and his head held high.

The Moate teenager lost a unanimous decision against world number three Julio Peraza in the light-heavyweight semi-finals this afternoon.

After watching Jason Quigley make history as the first Irish male to reach a world final, 19-year-old Ward was hoping to join him on tomorrow’s gold medal card.

But Cuba’s Peraza showed all his experience and kept him at bay throughout a tactical bout.

“I just couldn’t get to him,” Ward told Kenneth Egan afterwards. “He was very tricky.

He was an exceptional boxer with his movement and his distance. I just couldn’t get within range of him at all.

He had his tactics perfect and I just couldn’t get my range at all because he was so tricky.

Ward will return home with another major championship medal to go alongside his golds from the Junior World Championships, the Youth World Championships and the European Championships in 2011.

“I can’t complain. I had a great tournament and came out with a bronze medal.

“I’m not going to say my injury or something counted against me in there. I lost fair and square. Experience got him through it.”

Jason Quigley secures World Boxing silver medal