Francois Etoundi fined for headbutting Welsh rival

Australian Commonwealth Games medal-winner pleads guilty to assault in athletes’ village.

The Australian weightlifter Francois Etoundi has been ordered to pay £400 ($730) to Welsh fellow competitor Gareth Evans for breaking his nose in a headbutt.

Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner Etoundi, 29, appeared in the Glasgow sheriff court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to assault by headbutting. He was charged after an early morning incident in the athletes’ village on Wednesday.

Sherriff Andrew Cubie ordered Etoundi to pay the money as compensation to Evans. He said he considered that appropriate punishment, taking into account that Etoundi faced disciplinary action from his weightlifting association, had already been banished from the Games and had spent a night in custody.

Etoundi’s lawyer David Hunter said outside the court that his client would return to Australia as soon as possible, probably on Friday.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper explained why Etoundi’s accreditation had been stripped for breach of village rules before his court appearance.

“It was a violent incident,” Hooper said. “It was witnessed, as I understand, by many people in the village and “Very clearly this is unacceptable.”