Commonwealth Games boxer KO'd by bed

A Commonwealth Games champion has hit the floor in Delhi before facing an opponent.

Akhil Kumar, who won gold for India in the 54kg division at the 2006 in Melbourne, fell through his bed in the latest episode of embarrassment for the organisers of this year's Commonwealth Games, which are due to start next week.

"We reached the Olympic Bhavan (office) late in the afternoon to collect accreditation cards. But when I sat down on my bed to take rest, it collapsed," Kumar complained.

"I checked the bed and part of it had no plywood on it," said the boxer, who also made the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics two years ago.

"It was disappointing after enduring a long journey. The athletes are at least entitled to a decent place to rest. Even the toilets are not very clean."

It has been reported that the Games organising committee asked the national boxing federation officials to place a gag order on India's boxers after becoming aware of Kumar's comments to reporters.

Team GB's full complement of boxers are scheduled to take part in the tournament.