Knockout punch for Pakistan boxers ?

SAG Boxing hit below the belt

Dinesh Weerawansa

BOXING: Sri Lanka stands a chance of securing a 'late' gold medal as two Pakistan boxers have been tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Medical officials in Colombo said that the 'B' urine samples of the two Pakistan boxers - flyweight gold medallist Nauman Karim and 57 kg weight gold medallist Mohammed Meharullah Lassi - taken during last month's 10th South Asian Games in Colombo, have been tested positive for banned substances.

The two Pakistani boxers are among the nine positive cases reported after more than 200 urine samples taken during the eight-nation Games were tested at an IOC ratified laboratory in Malaysia.

Karim beat Sri Lanka's T.B. Harsha Kumara in the 51kg flyweight final bout in a controversial points decision. Some of the Pakistani judges who officiated were highly criticised by both local and international media as well as officials over some shocking points decisions.

Sri Lanka's Kamal Sameera too became an unfortunate victim of poor officiating as Pakistani boxing captain Meharullah won his 57kg weight class quarter final bouts

Meharullah is the reigning Asian Games gold medallist and Commonwealth Games silver medallist and in case he faces a ban, Sameera's chances of a gold at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha would look even brighter.

Apart from Sameera and Harsha Kumara, Sri Lanka's Samantha Indika Kumara too had to taste some bitter and biased judging in losing his 69kg bantamweight final to Pakistan's Dur Mahmud.

It was obvious to all those who knew the ring sport even a little that both Harsha Kumara and Indika Kumara dominated in their respective bouts. But at the end, they became victims of some biased decisions by Pakistani judges.

Karim and Meharullah could now request a 'B' urine sample testing. If the second sample too tests positive, they would be stripped off their gold medals, which would then be presented to their losing opponents in the respective finals.

Under such circumstances, Harsha Kumara will get his silver medal upgraded to gold. Both Karim and Meharullah have been involved in drug controversies before. In fact, Harsha Kumara had to face the same scenario at the previous 9th South Asian Games in Islamabad, 2004.

The culprit on that occasion too was the same opponent - Nauman Karim, who was banned for one year. Following the confirmation on the positive dope test, Harsha Kumara was later awarded the gold medal.

Despite qualifying to box in Athens, he was forced to miss the 2004 Olympic Games as a result. It is a shame that Karim has got caught once more but his innocence would only be proved after the 'B' urine sample testing.

Even his elder brother - Faisal Karim too was tested positive at the 2004 Islamabad SA Games but he controversially went scot free with only a warning. Even the normal two-year ban was reduced to one year in Nauman Karim's case.

Mohammed Meharullah Lassi, who led the Pakistan boxing team to the 10th South Asian Games, had a similar black mark at the Islamabad 2004 Games as well. Though he too was tested positive for a banned steroid, international boxing officials turned a blind eye in serving only a warning.