Belated Delhi gold for Welsh boxer Sean McGoldrick

Welsh boxer Sean McGoldrick has received a belated 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Sri Lankan Manju Wanniarachchi, who beat McGoldrick in the bantamweight final in Delhi, was stripped of his title after failing a doping test.

Wanniarachchi decided not to appeal against the decision and announced his retirement.

McGoldrick, 18, was awarded the medal at a specially arranged ceremony in Cardiff on Tuesday.

"Sean is a very deserving gold medallist," said Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper.

"It has been unfortunate that Sean has had to wait so long for a medal that is rightly his.

"He showed great sportsmanship during the Games at Delhi and this has continued throughout the months that followed, so I will be delighted to present the gold medal to him."

McGoldrick, who was the youngest member of Wales's boxing team, lost the 56kg weight-division final to Wanniarachchi on countback.

McGoldrick (right) narrowly lost out to Wanniarachchi in Delhi

Wanniarachchi's gold medal was his country's first in boxing in 72 years and he was hailed as a national hero when he returned home.

But in May, 2011 spokesman Sudam Sri Pahalagama said: "He [Wanniarachchi] does not wish this matter to drag on and decided against appealing and instead will retire from the sport with immediate effect."

He added that Wanniarachchi maintained his innocence despite a Commonwealth Games Federation Court hearing in Malaysia in May, 2011, which found him guilty of doping.

Wanniarachchi is the third Sri Lankan sportsman to test positive for a banned substance after weightlifter Chintana Widanage and cricketer Upul Taranga.

Sri Lanka National Olympic Association (SLNOC) chief Hemasiri Fernando told the BBC Tamil Service it has become the first country in south Asia to have sportsmen and women tested at school level.

"It is necessary to generate awareness amongst the school children about anti-doping in connection with the recent reports that a number of Sri Lankan sportsmen have tested positive for performance enhanced drug," he said.

With McGoldrick elevated to winner, the silver medal has been awarded to Tirafalo Seoko from Botswana, who lost to Wanniarachchi at the semi-finals.

The man who lost to McGoldrick in the semi-finals, Louis Julie from Mauritius, retains his bronze, while the second bronze medal has gone to Nicholas Okoth from Kenya, who was defeated by Wanniarachchi in the quarter-finals.