Ghanaian boxer Shakul Samed has become the first athlete to fail an anti-doping test at Birmingham 2022.
The 23-year-old light heavyweight had been due to face Mauritius’s Luc Jean Rosalba in the first round of his competition, but failed the test on Friday, the first day of competition at the Games.
“The Commonwealth Games Federation Anti-Doping and Medical Commission has confirmed that the sample of Shakul Samed, a boxer from Ghana, violated anti-doping rules for the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” read a CGF statement.
“His A sample was found to contain a prohibited substance (diuretic and masking agent — furosemide).
“He has therefore been suspended with immediate effect. He and the Ghana Commonwealth Games Association have been informed.”
Samed can opt to have his B sample tested before any charge is issued.
According to AFP, Samed had competed in the Tokyo Olympics last year, losing his opening round-of-16 bout against Bayram Malkan of Turkey.
In 2019, Samed won a bronze medal at the African Games at Rabat.
CGF and the World Ant-Doping Agency signed an agreement last week to work together to eradicate the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs.
There were no positive tests reported at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, so Birmingham 2022 has already ignominiously passed that tally.
