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Pakistani Boxer Vanishes in Italy After Stealing from TeammateA Pakistani boxer, Zohaib Rasheed, has disappeared in Italy after allegedly stealing money from a teammate's bag, casting a shadow over the country's Olympic aspirations.Rasheed, a rising star in Pakistan's boxing scene, had traveled to Italy as part of a five-member squad for an Olympic qualifying tournament. However, his actions have brought shame upon the Pakistan Amateur Boxing Federation (PABF) and the nation.According to PABF secretary Colonel Nasir Ahmed, Rasheed took advantage of his teammate Laura Ikram's absence during training to steal foreign currency from her purse. He then vanished from the hotel, leaving his team and officials in shock."It is most embarrassing for the federation and country the way Zohaib Rasheed has behaved," Ahmed said. "He had gone there as part of a squad to take part in an Olympic qualifying tournament."Rasheed's disappearance is not an isolated incident. In the past, Pakistani athletes have used international competitions as an opportunity to seek a better future abroad.The PABF has notified the Pakistan Embassy in Italy and filed a police report. Authorities are actively searching for Rasheed, but he remains out of contact.Rasheed's actions have not only tarnished Pakistan's reputation but also raised questions about the integrity of the national boxing program. The PABF is now facing scrutiny over its selection process and the measures in place to prevent such incidents.The incident has cast a pall over Pakistan's Olympic hopes. Rasheed was considered a potential medal contender, and his absence will be a significant blow to the team's chances of qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

India's Olympic boxing aspirations suffered a setback at the World Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Busto Arsizio, Italy, as Deepak Bhoria (51kg) succumbed to a 2-3 split verdict against Azerbaijan's Huseynov Nijat on the opening day.Bhoria, who had edged out 2019 World Championships silver medalist Amit Panghal for a spot in the Indian squad, faced a formidable opponent in Nijat. The Azerbaijani boxer's pace and agility proved too much for Bhoria in the first two rounds, which he lost by identical 2-3 scorelines.Undeterred, Bhoria rallied in the final round, delivering some impressive blows to secure a 4-1 victory. However, it was not enough to overcome the deficit from the earlier rounds.Despite Bhoria's defeat, India still has hopes of securing Olympic quotas through Asian Games bronze medalist Narender (92kg) and Commonwealth Games 2022 bronze medalist Jaismine (60kg), who will face Germany's Nelvie Tiafack and Japan's Ayaka Taguchi respectively later on Sunday.The World Olympic Boxing Qualifier offers 49 quotas for the Paris Olympics, including 28 for men and 21 for women. India has already secured four quotas for the Games.