Former Light-Welterweight world champion boxer Amir Khan has been handed a two-year ban from all sport by the UK Anti-Doping agency (UKAD) after he tested positive for the prohibited anabolic agent, ostarine. The 36-year-old accepted the violation but stated that he had not knowingly ingested the substance. After being notified of the positive result in April 2022, the charges were finalized in July. The panel accepted his argument following his hearing in January and issued their ruling in February.
Amir Khan has had a remarkable boxing career which started with a gold medal at the Junior Olympics in 2003 followed by him winning Silver at the Athens Olympics in 17 years old. Seven years after his professional debut Khan won the WBA Light-Welterweight title with a win over Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester. Five years later he unified the title with a win over Zab Judah. Khan also had his fair share of controversy as he lost to Lamont Peterson in 2011 who subsequently tested positive for synthetic testosterone.
The suspension charged by UKAD serves as a reminder to all athletes and their supporting personnel to take the anti-doping rules seriously. Any infringement of the rules can cause damage to athletes’ careers and confidence in clean sport. Jane Rumble, the Britain Anti-Doping Agency’s chief executive, commented that the case “serves as a reminder that UKAD will diligently pursue anti-doping rule violations in order to protect clean sport.”
Overall, while it is a sad ending to an illustrious career of Amir Khan, it is important to adhere to anti-doping rules and protect the integrity of sport worldwide.
