Did Amir Khan take ostarine? Retired boxer gives statement denying accusation
Retired British boxer Amir Khan has denied any wrongdoing after UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) handed him a two-year ban from all sports for using a prohibited substance. While the 36-year-old pugilist has accepted the charges against him, he maintained his innocence and claims to have committed no intentional wrongdoing.
After his last bout against longtime rival Kell Brooks in February 2022, Khan's urine sample contained the anabolic agent ostarine, a substance banned in all sports. Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) designed to promote muscle building and has a similar effect to testosterone.
Amir Khan has denied cheating intentionally and made it clear in a recent interview with Sky Sports News. He said:
"I've never cheated in my life... You can see by my performance against Kell Brook... I lost the fight. If I went in there and knocked Brook out, it's different... I'm the one who wanted the testing on the fight and also, the amount that was in my system could have been by shaking people's hands."
"I've never cheated in my life"
Amir Khan speaks exclusively to Sky News after discovering he has been given a two-year ban from all sports after he tested positive for a banned substance following his fight with Kell Brook last year 🔽 https://t.co/UYxUb1nnj9
After Khan's sample was found to contain the substance, his case was referred to an independent tribunal, which upheld the guilty verdict. The boxer was informed of this adverse finding on April 6, 2022, and has been serving a provisional ban from all sports since that day.
Amir Khan positive drug test: Boxxer CEO on 'King's two-year ban
Following news of Amir Khan being found guilty of using anabolic agents and his subsequent two-year ban, Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom recently weighed in on the matter.
In an interview with Sky Sports News, the British boxing promoter expressed his disappointment and claimed the sport of boxing needs some serious introspection. When asked for his reaction to finding out the news, Shalom stated:
"Shocked. Disappointed. But equally disappointed to find it via social media this morning. We know there's a problem with the sport. We can see that across other issues that are going on, but this is disappointing... Serious questions need to be asked."
Ben Shalom went on to reveal that Amir Khan and Kell Brooks were strictly tested regularly before their fight last year and that an enormous amount of money was spent on getting World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and UKAD to make sure the two boxers were clean.
Upon being asked if the ban tarnished the legacy and career of Amir Khan, Shalom responded:
"Look, what they've found is, it wasn't intentional... It was a trace... It's disappointing for Amir, but for me, he's been an exemplary athlete throughout. So let's not jump to conclusions."
"Serious questions need to be asked"
BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom reacts to the news Amir Khan has been handed a two-year ban from all sports ⤵️ https://t.co/aK9mH2bbno