Delhi’s Commonwealth Games suffered the hammer blow of a homegrown drugs cheat yesterday while unheralded Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka punched spectacularly above their weight in boxing.

Rani Yadav, who placed sixth in the women’s 20km walk, tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

She became the third anti-doping violation of the Games after 110m hurdler Samuel Okon, and women’s 100m gold medallist Osayemi Oludamola, both Nigerians, tested positive for stimulants.

Organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot said it was a shattering blow that an athlete from the host nation had cheated.

“It is unfortunate. We try our level best to obey the regulations,” he said.

“We did a lot of out-of-competition tests and in-competition tests, but still someone tests positive and it is a difficult situation.”

The doping setback cooled celebrations from Tuesday which had seen the 4x400m relay team become India’s first ever women’s track champions in the history of the Games.

On the penultimate day of Delhi 2010, 27 gold medals were decided with 10 in boxing.

Sri Lanka won their first boxing gold since 1938 and India picked up three to prevent a rout by British boxers.

Manju Wanniarachchi, a 30-year-old lingerie factory worker from Kandy, beat Sean McGoldrick, of Wales, in the bantamweight division.

“It’s a great victory for us after 72 years,” his manager Dian Gomes told AFP.

“It means so much for boxing in Sri Lanka. It’s as good as winning the cricket World Cup.”

India’s Suranjoy Mayengbam won flyweight gold without having to throw a punch after Kenya’s Benson Njangiru failed to show because of a wrist injury.

Northern Ireland had waited 16 years to win boxing gold, but their victory anthem “Danny Boy” was played three times after European champion Paddy Barnes won the light flyweight crown and Paddy Gallagher was victorious in the welterweight.

Eamonn O’Kane made it three with a convincing win over England’s Anthony Ogogo in the middleweight division, winning the 100th medal for the province in Games history.

Australia won their second successive women’s hockey gold with a nerve-wracking 4-2 win over New Zealand on penalties.

Jessica Nicole scored the winner while Krystal Forgesson missed her attempt in the shoot-out after the scores were tied 2-2 at the end of the regulation period and extra-time.