The 32-year-old was left devastated after judges awarded South Korea's Jina Park a unanimous points victory in their lightweight semi-final encounter on Monday (September 29), despite a dominant performance by the Indian.

She then refused to accept her bronze medal during Wednesday's (October 1) presenting ceremony, instead placing it around the neck of the South Korean, who eventually claimed silver.

When the presentation was over, she left the medal behind, despite being told by the organisers to take it with her.

A disciplinary probe was launched just hours after the incident, with AIBA technical delegate David Francis criticising the Indian's behaviour.

"The whole incident looked like a well planned scenario by her and her team, and it is regretful to watch a boxer refuse the medal regardless of what happened in the competition," Francis said.

"In this regard, as the technical delegate, I had to request OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) to review this incident, so any boxer or athlete in other sports will not follow in her footsteps by respecting the spirit of fair-play and sportsmanship of the Olympic Movement."

South Korea's Jina Park was left dumbstruck when Sarita Devi placed her own bronze medal around her neck during Wednesdays medal ceremony ©AFP/Getty Images



In a latest twist, the Indian boxer has now written a letter to AIBA President C K Wu expressing "an unconditional apology" for her "emotional outburst".

"I regret and apologise," she added.

"Such an incident will never reoccur in the future."

The letter was forwarded to Wu via Indian Chef de Mission Adille J Sumariwalla, who asked the AIBA President to take into account this letter and the specific circumstances which led to such a "spontaneous knee jerk reaction", which according to Sumariwalla, was not "a planned effort" of the Indian delegation.

Despite seemingly nationwide support back home, many here in South Korea took a dim view on the boxer's behaviour at the medal ceremony with Son Cheon-taik, deputy secretary general of Incheon 2014's Organising Committee, calling her actions "not sportsman-like".

"She needs to respect the official ruling and show sportsmanship. Her actions were not sportsman-like," he said during a news conference yesterday.

"The Olympic Council of Asia is working on the review of the medal, whether or not to give it to her or confiscate it.

"So they are deciding what to do with it."

Sarita Devi has written a letter of apology for her behaviour at the medal ceremony which saw her leave her bronze medal on the podium before exiting the venue ©AFP/Getty Images



He added: "Although she was upset, she didn't lodge an official complaint, so there is no official investigation.

"However, if an athlete feels cheated, there needs to be an official letter to the judging committee, which I have begun working on.

"I have not yet sent this letter, so nothing is official."

Despite allegations that Devi may be stripped of her bronze, Sumariwalla explained yesterday that he had met with the "OCA working group hearing this morning and expressed regret over what happened at the medal ceremony".

He added: "I told them it had happened in an emotional moment.

"The OCA has reinstated Sarita Devi as the bronze medal winner.

"The medal will come to us tomorrow morning."

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