Leon Reid says 'he is exploring all options to get this Commonwealth Games ban decision reconsidered'
Sport

Leon Reid says 'he is exploring all options to get this Commonwealth Games ban decision reconsidered'

IRISH SPRINTER Leon Reid has said he is ' exploring all options to get his Commonwealth Games ban decision reconsidered'. 

The Olympic semi-finalist was given a suspended sentence in February after he was found guilty of allowing crack cocaine to be produced in his flat in the city of Bristol in southwest England, according to CNN-News18. 

Reid was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months, with the condition to complete 220 hours of unpaid work by February 18, 2023, Bristol Crown Court. 

 

Reid had initially been selected to be part Northern Ireland's 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 200m before Games organisers banned him from the event following a security risk assessment. 

A Birmingham 2022 spokesperson this month said:  "As with any major event, delivering a safe and secure experience for all involved requires stringent checks and balances being put in place and adhered to,"  

"Under this nationally recognised guidance, we made clear the parameters and details of checks that would be carried out on all attending individuals. This information was made clear to all teams and Commonwealth Games Associations well in advance of team selections." 

The 27-year-old issued a statement on Instagram: "While I am still waiting to hear the reasons for the refusal, I have been told by the Birmingham 2022 organising committee, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, that I have no right to make any representations over the decision," Reid said in the post 

"And the accreditation process is one which does not allow me a right of appeal. 

"I am disappointed that the process is so arbitrary and unfair, and I am exploring all options to get this decision reconsidered."