By Elliot Foster

Hasan Karkardi and Liam Wilkins have been suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control following the sparring incident which saw Nick Blackwell admitted to hospital for a second time.

The Trowbridge-born former British middleweight champion was rushed there after participating in a sparring session and falling ill.

The incident, which was revealed on November 26, came just eight months after Blackwell’s boxing career was ended when he was placed into an induced coma following his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. due to a bleed on his skull.

The Board handed the pair bans from the sport, effective as of January 11, it was announced on Friday.

Karkardi (7-1, 1 KO) was the boxer Blackwell sparred with, while Wilkins, the Iranian-born fighter’s trainer, oversaw the session at Devizes Amateur Boxing Club.

Karkardi, who escaped from his native Iran in 2012 and was living in London before moving to Bristol, was handed a six-month suspension from the sport.

Wilkins –– who was only handed his trainer’s licence in February last year –– had the same document withdrawn on Wednesday after the Board’s latest meeting.

Blackwell, 26, woke from his second coma before Christmas, much to the delight of all who know and love him as well as the whole boxing fellowship.

Prior to this, he had fully recovered from the injuries suffered in the aftermath of the defeat to Chris Eubank Jr. and was as recently as October handed a trainer’s licence by the Board after having his boxer permit revoked.