By Terence Dooley
The UKAD (U.K. Anti-Doping) has upheld Kid Galahad’s two-year ban for a positive test for stanozolol (an exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid) following his decision win over Adeilson Dos Santos in September.
The 25-year-old, 18-0 (9) former British Commonwealth and EBU Super bantamweight titlist argued that his drink was spiked by his brother Mageed—who signed an affidavit confirming this as part of the appeal process and said he did it because his brother would not loan him £10,000—but the UKAD voted in favour of the ban after considering the evidence.
With the appeal process now closed, the sanction will remain in effect and has been backdated to September 20, which means he cannot fight again until September 16 2016.
“Kid Galahad is one of the country’s leading boxing talents and through his own actions he has jeopardised his promising career, and his reputation,” stated Nicole Sapstead, the organisation’s Chief Executive.
She added: “All athletes, at all levels, need to understand the importance of Strict Liability—they are solely responsible for any banned substance that is found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was an intention to cheat or not.
“The principle of Strict Liability can be challenging for an athlete. They have to ensure that they understand the anti-doping rules and that their family, friends, coaches and athlete support personnel understand them too. They need to be aware of the risks their career faces if they test positive, and manage that risk at all times.”
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