Welsh boxer gets Manju’s boxing gold [June 06 2011]

Welsh boxer Sean McGoldrick has been awarded the gold medal in the Men’s Bantamweight division from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation made the announcement 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.

The opportunity for Wanniarachchi to appeal lapsed without the athlete taking any further action. The disqualification of the Sri Lankan from all results in Delhi has led to a re-awarding of medals from the event. 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. The teenager becomes the third gold medallist of the games after athlete Dai Greene and record-breaking bowls star Sean McGoldrick,

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. CGF chief executive, Mike Hooper, will present the gold medal to McGoldrick tomorrow at a special ceremony in Cardiff. “Sean is a very deserving gold medallist,” Mr Hooper said. “It has been unfortunate that Sean has had to wait so long for a medal that is rightly his.

“He showed great sportsmanship during the Games at Delhi and this has continued throughout the months that followed, so I will be delighted to present the gold medal to him tomorrow. “We will get the silver to Tirafalo Seoko and the bronze to Nicholas Okoth immediately. “Their names, along with Sean’s and the other bronze medallist, Louis Julie, will be enshrined in the Commonwealth Games records as the medallists for the Men’s boxing 56 kilogram division from Delhi 2010 forever.”