"It is most embarrassing for the federation"
Pakistani boxer Zohaib Rasheed has gone missing in Italy after stealing from a teammate.
Rasheed had been in the country for an Olympic qualifying tournament.
But according to the Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation, he disappeared from the team hotel.
This came after he went into teammate Laura Ikram’s bag and stole her money while she was out training.
He took her room keys from the front desk and took all the foreign currency from her purse before fleeing from the hotel.
A senior official said they had brought it to the notice of the Pakistan Embassy in Italy.
A police report has also been filed.
Colonel Nasir Ahmed said: “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.”
Zohaib Rasheed had won a bronze medal in the 2023 Asian Boxing Championships and was an Olympic hopeful for Pakistan.
Colonel Ahmed added:
“The police have been informed and they are now searching for him but he is not in contact with anyone.”
Although the incident is shocking, it is not the first time that a Pakistani boxer has gone missing.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Suleman Baloch and Nazeerullah disappeared shortly after the conclusion of the Games.
Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) secretary Nasir Tang said their absence was noted just a few hours before the team’s departure for Islamabad.
Mr Tang explained that the athletes’ travel documents were still in the possession of the federation officials as per the standard procedure for all athletes who travel from Pakistan.
He said:
“The travel documents including their passports are still with federation officials who accompanied the boxing team to the games.”
It was not known why the Pakistani boxers decided not to return with the rest of the athletes but according to The Express Tribune, it was “a suspected bid to remain in England and escape returning to their homeland that is facing a high unemployment and inflation rate”.
In a statement at the time, the Pakistan Olympic Association said:
“We will not allow these boxers to tarnish the name of the country at any cost. British Police will soon find them.”
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