Gold for Welsh boxer

6 June 2011 01:34 pm Views - 4220

KUALA LUMPUR -Welsh bantamweight Sean McGoldrick has been awarded the gold medal stripped from disqualified Sri Lankan Manju Wanniarachchi at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the organisers announced Monday.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said the opportunity for Wanniarachchi to appeal against his exclusion after a positive drug test in Delhi had lapsed without the athlete taking any further action.

"The decision comes following the removal of Manju Wanniarachchi from the results after the Sri Lankan boxer was found guilty of an anti-doping violation at the Delhi Games," it said in a statement.

"McGoldrick, who, at 18, was the youngest member of Wales' boxing team and lost the 56kg weight-division final on count back, now takes the gold," CGF said.

The silver medal has been awarded to Tirafalo Seoko from Botswana, who lost to Wanniarachchi at the semi-finals.

The man who lost to McGoldrick in the semi-finals, Louis Julie from Mauritius, retains his bronze, while the second bronze medal has gone to Nicholas Okoth from Kenya, who was defeated by Wanniarachchi in the quarterfinals.

Wanniarachchi ended Sri Lanka's seven-decade gold medal drought at the Games beating McGoldrick in the bantamweight final in Delhi in October last year.

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka announced later that the boxer had failed a drugs test taken during the Commonwealth Games.

A urine sample provided by the boxer had contained nandrolone, a banned performance enhancing drug, the organisation said.

Wanniarachchi claimed he had failed the test due to the asthma medication he was taking.

CGF chief executive Mike Hooper will present the gold medal to McGoldrick on June 7 at a special ceremony in Cardiff being organised by the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales.

"Sean is a very deserving gold medallist," Hooper said.

"It has been unfortunate that Sean has had to wait so long for a medal that is rightly his," he said.

Chris Jenkins, Chef de Mission of Team Wales in Delhi, said his organisation was absolutely delighted for McGoldrick.

"Sean must be commended for not only his fantastic performance in Delhi but also for how he?s handled himself since this all came to light," he said.

"With Glasgow just over three years and the Youth Games just a matter of months away this gives our athletes yet another boost in their preparations," Jenkins said.

Source: AFP