Sri Lanka's only gold medalist at this month's Commonwealth Games, boxer Manju Wanniarachchi, has failed a dope test and could be stripped of his medal, a national Olympic Committee official said on Sunday.
New Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers informed Sri Lanka on Saturday that Wanniarachchi, 30, had tested positive for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone, the official told AFP.
"We were told at the weekend and are hoping to inform the Sports Ministry on Monday and then make a formal announcement," the official said, declining to be named. "It is possible that the boxer did not know he had taken nandrolone." "This is something we expect the sports ministry to investigate and as things stand, we are not going to challenge the findings of the Commonwealth Games organisers." The privately-run Lakbima News newspaper said organisers had also informed the boxer of the result with his urine A-sample. Wanniarachchi had beaten Welshman Sean McGoldrick in the final round of the bantamweight category to clinch the gold and give Sri Lanka its first boxing gold in 72 years.
The boxer can request a B-sample test. If the outcome remains unchanged, he risks being stripped of his gold medal and could face a two-year ban from all competition. Sri Lanka also won one silver and one bronze medal for boxing and weightlifting, during the October 3-14 Delhi games.
Two other Sri Lankan athletes also tested positive for nandrolone in 1998 and 2007, but on both occasions they were cleared after alleged flaws in the inquiries against them.