Pardeep Nagra, a light flyweight, wears a beard for religious reasons. He was barred from the tournament held by the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) because beards are prohibited under international amateur boxing rules.

His lawyers obtained the court order allowing Nagra to fight with a net around his beard. The association then called off the light flyweight division bouts yesterday in Campbell River, British Columbia, until the issue got resolved.

Nagra, whose religion bars him from shaving, called the ruling a missed opportunity to correct an injustice. He said the other four fighters in his weight group supported his participation in the tournament. ``They say let the person speak for himself in the ring,'' he said.

Association president Hank Somers said violating this rule could put anyone involvedin the tournament at risk of sanctions. He said the ban makes medical sense because an opponent could be injured from beard stubble or hair going in an eye. Jim Smith, a lawyer for Nagra, called the association's attempt to block Nagra ``arbitrary.''

Nagra wore netting over his beard when he won the Ontario light flyweight championship this year. He had to file a human rights complaint last year to get the chance to compete.