Italy: Pakistan boxer Zohaib Rasheed disappears after stealing teammate’s money

Pakistani boxer, Zohaib Rasheed disappeared after stealing money from teammate’s bag in Italy, the Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation said on Tuesday.

Zohaib Rasheed travelled to Italy to compete in a qualifying competition for the Olympics. 

According to a top federation official, they reported the event to the Pakistani Embassy in Italy and also filed a police report.

"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.

Zohaib had won a bronze medal in last year's Asian Boxing Championships and was regarded as a rising talent in Pakistan.

Laura Ikram, a female boxer, had left for training, according to Nasir, and Zohaib had taken her room keys from the front desk and her foreign currency out of a purse before she vanished from the hotel.

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

This is not the first time a Pakistani athlete has gone abroad with a national squad and slipped away in hope of a better future.