Pakistani Boxer Disappears In Italy After Stealing From Female Teammate

As per the Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation, a Pakistani boxer named Zohaib Rasheed has disappeared in Italy, reportedly after stealing money from a female teammate's bag.

A Pakistani boxer named Zohaib Rasheed has reportedly gone missing in Italy, allegedly after stealing money from a female teammate's bag.

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Zohaib Rasheed, a boxer from Pakistan, has gone missing in Italy as per a PTI report after allegedly stealing money from his teammate's bag during their participation in the Olympic Qualifying tournament. The Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation confirmed the incident on March 5 (Tuesday) and stated that necessary steps have been initiated to file a complaint against Rasheed.

A senior official of the federation mentioned that they have informed the Pakistan Embassy in Italy and have also filed a police report regarding the incident as reported by PTI.

‘Embarrassing For The Federation And Country’

Colonel Nasir Ahmed, the secretary of the national federation, expressed embarrassment over the matter, emphasising that the players represent the country in such tournaments. He confirmed that a five-member squad had travelled to Italy.

"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," the national federation's secretary, Colonel Nasir Ahmed said as quoted by PTI.

Zohaib, who had earned a bronze medal in the previous year's Asian Boxing Championships, was considered a promising talent in Pakistan. Colonel Nasir revealed that Zohaib took advantage of a female boxer, Laura Ikram, being away for training. He allegedly obtained her room keys from the front desk, stole foreign currency from her purse, and subsequently disappeared from the hotel.

“The police have been informed and they are now searching for him but he is not in contact with anyone,” Nasir added.

The recent incident with Zohaib Rasheed is not the first occurrence of Pakistani athletes disappearing in Europe under comparable circumstances. After the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, boxers Suleman Baloch and Nazirullah, along with prominent swimmer Faizan Akbar, went missing in Budapest, Hungary, just before the World Swimming Championship in June 2022.