The Sri Lanka Government said the ban was effective from yesterday.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is currently conducting an official inquiry on charges against Wanniarachchi for taking a banned drug.

Wanniarachchi, who beat Wales' Sean McGoldrick in the final, tested positive for nandralone, an anabolic steroid listed as banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), and should the CGF hearing find the Sri Lankan guilty, McGoldrick will be awarded the gold.

The CGF hearing on the issue was set to take place in January but was postponed at the request of the athlete and his legal team after an illness precluded Wanniarachchi's legal representative, Kalinga Indatissa, from attending the court in Jamaica.

The hearing will now take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May.

CGF President Michael Fennell said the decision to delay the hearing had not been taken lightly.

"However, under the rules of the CGF's Anti-Doping Standard (ADS) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, all athletes are entitled to legal representation at their hearing and consequently the late application for a postponement was agreed," a statement from the CGF said.

"While the delay is regrettable, it is unavoidable given the circumstances."

The 30-year-old Wanniarachchi, from Kandy, became a national hero at home after Delhi 2010 as his victory was the first Commonwealth Games gold medal won by a Sri Lankan boxer for 72 years.

He claimed the failed drug test resulted after he had been given the injection by an Indian homeopathy medical practitioner, who had told him that it was a vitamin B supplement.

If McGoldrick is elevated to champion, Wales will rise two places in the final medal table from 15th to 13th - by virtue of most silvers - leapfrogging Northern Ireland and Samoa who are currently 13th and 14th respectively.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2011: Hearing into Sri Lankan boxer postponed until May
January 2011: Medal wait goes on for Welsh boxer
November 2010: Exclusive - Sri Lankan boxer must follow the rules claim CGF
November 2010: Sri Lanka threaten legal action to keep drug-tainted gold medal
November 2010: Sri Lankan boxer blames positive test on vitamin B injection