Pakistani boxer steals money from teammate's bag, disappears

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation reported on Tuesday that a Pakistani boxer participating in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy has gone missing after allegedly stealing money from a teammate's bag.


Zohaib Rasheed, who traveled to Italy for the competition, has become the subject of concern following this incident.

The federation has taken prompt action, bringing the matter to the attention of the Pakistan Embassy in Italy and filing an official police report to address the situation.

"It is most embarrassing for the federation and country the way Zohaib Rasheed has behaved as he had gone there as part of a five-member squad to take part in an Olympic qualifying tournament," the national federation's secretary, Colonel Nasir Ahmed said.

Zohaib had won a bronze medal in last year's Asian Boxing Championships and was regarded as a rising talent in Pakistan.

Nasir said that a female boxer Laura Ikram had gone out for training and Zohaib took her room keys from the front desk and stole her foreign currency from a purse before disappearing from the hotel.

"The police have been informed and they are now searching for him but he is not in contact with anyone," Nasir said.

This is not the first time a Pakistani athlete has gone abroad with a national squad and slipped away in hope of a better future.

(With inputs from PTI)