British boxer Amir Khan has been banned from competing for two years after testing positive for a prohibited substance following routine anti-doping tests.
Khan, 36, tested positive for banned substance ostarine following his fight against Kell Brook in February 2022.
Admitting he broke anti-doping rules but asserting it was unintentional, an independent tribunal accepted his argument, ruling out “deliberate or reckless conduct” as part of their verdict.
Khan, who announced his retirement in May 2022, asserted he’d “never cheated”, highlighting the irony of a ban given his status as a retired athlete.
He told Sky News “I’ve got a two-year ban now, which is quite strange and funny because I’m already retired anyway.”
“There’s no comeback planned at all. But I’ve never cheated and I never will. That’s just not something I would do.”
The urine sample was provided following the athlete’s Manchester bout, with the former light-welterweight world champion losing to Brook after the fight was halted in the sixth round.
According to the UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) website, banned substance ostarine is a drug designed to have similar effect to testosterone.
It’s not the first time an athlete has tested positive for the banned substance in recent years.
In October, British sprinter CJ Ujah was handed a 22 month ban after testing positive for two banned substances at the Tokyo Olympics – one of which was ostarine.
By Danielle DeWolfe@dannidewolfe
