Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper has defended a decision to ban Welsh boxer Fred Evans from competing in Glasgow after he failed a background check, thought to be due to his involvement in a nightclub assault.
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Evans, a welterweight silver medallist at the London Olympics, was a strong gold medal hope for the Welsh but won't take part after the decision from Commonwealth Games officials and the Home Office.
The 23-year-old was fined £1000 after admitting to being part of an assault in Birmingham in April. Team Wales had been engaged in lengthy discussions to try and ensure their fighter was admitted but Games officials are sticking to their guns.
Welsh chef de mission Brian Davies said he had been left 'bitterly disappointed' at the outcome and Evans had been preparing in the hope he would be able to fight. But a criminal record appears to have sunk his hopes, with Hooper saying rules were rules and they applied across the board.
He said background checks were standard for every athlete and official at major events and the Commonwealth Games executive had agreed to abide by their findings.
"A lot of you were in London in 2012. The exact same process applied. The authorities, Home Office police, undertake background checks. Those policy parameters are set and decisions are taken," Hooper said.
"It's made very clear, all Commonwealth Games associations sign up and agree that should anyone fail a background check, then they would not get an accreditation. I don't have the details of the particular case but that is the policy.
"Our board took a decision that it would abide by the decisions of the authorities here as it did in Melbourne in 2006, as it did in Delhi in 2010."
Specifics of the Evans case are scant but athletes with criminal records have been able to compete in the past.
England boxer Simon Vallily, who won a heavyweight gold medal in Delhi in 2010, had been jailed for four years in 2006 for a knife attack.
Welsh boxing performance director James Thomas said: "Fred is the Olympic silver medallist and European champion and he wanted to come to the Games and win a gold medal.
"Obviously we were aware of his conviction earlier this year and we certainly don't condone that kind of behaviour but sport is a fantastic vehicle for rehabilitation and we hoped Fred would have been able to continue to box and improve his lifestyle through the sport.
"It is sad to see such a fantastic athlete go out when everyone would have loved to see him box."
- with AFP
