Indian Para powerlifter, Sudhir, has lost his Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games heavyweight gold medal after testing positive for a banned substance.
This means Nigerian Ikechukwu Christian Obichukwu’s silva medal has been upgraded to gold medal.
Micky Yule of Scotland will receive silver and Australian Ben Wright will complete the last podium spot.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said that an Independent Tribunal found Sudhir to have committed an anti-doping rule violation on July 21 this year after analysing the in-competition sample provided by the athlete.
“This has been communicated to the relevant Commonwealth Games Associations who are liaising with the impacted athletes,” CGF said in a statement.
“The CGF has a zero-tolerance policy to doping in sport.
“It seeks to maintain the integrity of the Commonwealth Games by running a comprehensive anti-doping programme that focuses equally on education, prevention and testing.”
The Tribunal has passed the case to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after disqualifying the Indian’s results.
The IPC and World Para Powerlifting said it “cannot provide further comments at this stage as this is an ongoing case”.
Wright, who made his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow in 2014, was “honoured” after the late awarding of a medal.
It was also Australia’s first men’s powerlifting medal since Darren Gardiner won bronze at Melbourne 2006.
“It’s huge; every time I get to wear the green and gold it’s an honour, and to have received the bronze medal from Birmingham 2022 is incredibly exciting,” Wright said. –Insidethegames.biz