Wanniarachchi won the gold medal in India last October by beating McGoldrick in the 56kg bantamweight category, however the Sri Lankan subsequently tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandralone.

Should a Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) hearing find Wanniarachchi guilty, McGoldrick will be upgraded from silver to gold, but although the hearing was set to take place in January, it 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 is now due to take place in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia next month.

But McGoldrick admitted the episode is becoming draining for him.

"It's very frustrating, but it's hard to know what to say really," said the 19-year-old, who combines finance studies with boxing.

"It is something that you've just got to get on with and try to put at the back of your mind.

"All I can do is put my trust in Wales and if it [gold] comes, it comes.

"If it doesn't, it doesn't."

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

McGoldrick (pictured with Wanniarachchi), though, is hoping to put the issue to the back of his mind and begin his quest to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics following an injury that saw him damage a tendon in his right knuckle.


"It's an injury caused by repetitive punching, but it's common in boxing and nothing serious," he said.

"I'll soon be building to the World Championships in October, which are the first Olympic qualifiers.

"I'm hoping to compete in that for Wales and continue my form from the Commonwealth Games.

"There are more tournaments after that – and four qualifiers in all – but I'm particularly focused on London 2012 and that's what I want to achieve.

"But obviously I'm still young and if I don't do it this time I won't be too disheartened.

"I'll be aiming for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also for the next Olympics in 2016.

"I do want to turn professional eventually, but that's a long way off.

"I want to make sure I've got all the experience possible and do everything in the amateurs first.

"Delhi made me realise that I'm not a million miles away from the best in the world.

"I took a lot of confidence from that and I've always given 110 per cent no matter what the tournament.

"If I carry on doing that then I believe I will box in the Olympics one day."

McGoldrick added that he is already benefiting from the Welsh boxing squad's new training facilities at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

"It's going to make a massive difference," he said.

"The best boxers in the world don't train in sweaty gyms anymore.

"The days of the traditional gyms, with the old bags and small rings are all gone.

"It's going to help Welsh boxing for years to come."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].


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