Amir Khan has denied accusations of doping after testing positive for an illegal substance following his fight against Kell Brook earlier this year.
To make things even more curious, he has also suggested the traces detected could have come from nothing more than a simple handshake.
Khan was hit with a two-year ban from all sport on Tuesday, April 4, as the result of a failed drug test taken after his defeat to fierce rival Kell Brook back in February last year — his final fight before retiring in May 2022.
The Bolton-born boxer tested positive for an anabolic agent called ostarine — a selective androgen receptor modulator which promotes muscle growth — on 19 February following a urine sample that was taken after the AO Arena bout, but the 36-year-old insists he has “never cheated”.
"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 🔽 pic.twitter.com/UYxUb1nnj9
Amir Khan denies doping and says it was clear he wasn’t on any performance-altering substances.
Speaking to Sky News in an impromptu interview, Khan expressed his surprise at the decision, remarking: “I am a retired fighter. You can see by my performance against Kell Brook [that it] wasn’t the best. I lost the fight. If I went in there and knocked Kell Brook out it is different.”
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He went on to insist that he has “never cheated in [his] life” and that he was “the one who wanted the testing done”. The now-retired fighter accepted a violation of anti-doping rules but claims he didn’t intentionally ingest the substance, agreeing to an independent panel following a hearing back in January.
Khan went on to suggest that “[given] the amount that was in my system, [it] could have come from shaking peoples’ hands. I don’t know what the drug was in my system. I will give my views, but, like I say, I have never cheated in my life. I would never cheat…
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“I have got this two-year ban now, which is quite strange. I have already retired anyway. No comeback plans at all.”
Nevertheless, despite the UK Anti-Doping ruling out “deliberate or reckless conduct” on 21 February 2022, they still decided to impose a two-year ban (as opposed to the more severe four-year suspension) on the grounds of “strict liability”.
As UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble explained, “Strict liability means athletes are ultimately responsible for what they ingest and for the presence of any prohibited substances in a sample.”
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Either way, if he was indeed guilty of doping, it now makes no difference to Khan’s future given that he has been retired for nearly a year now and has reiterated that there are no plans to make a return to the ring, hanging up his boxing gloves with a record of 34 wins and six losses.
In fact, his next career move will see him return to the jungle for the all-star lineup of I’m A Celebrity later this month. I’m sure we’ll hear all about the controversy then — ‘Strawberry-gate’, we mean.
Featured Image — Amir Khan/Kell Brook (via Instagram)
Sport
The 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In yet more huge sporting news for Greater Manchester, the 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to 0161 later this year.
We’ve had plenty of big peaks of late, but things seem to just keep going up and up.
Set to host the global event for the first time in our history, Manchester will welcome the World Climbing Series (WCS), which is set to include both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines ahead of the next Summer Games in 2028.
2027 will mark the 38th edition of the series, which will also be one of only a handful to be held in the North – it’s just down to our city to make it the best.
Officially announced on Friday, 16 January, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) confirmed the return to the UK.
Founded back in 1989, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is coming up on four decades since the competition first began – Leeds being chosen as the inaugural hosts – the event has come a long way since then.
The IFSC’s rebranding of the annual bouldering, lead and speed trials to the modern WSC, which began last year, was initially revealed back in 2023.
Welcoming continental talent right down to the youth level, the upcoming 2026 World Climbing Series is taking place in the summer and will be hosted by the city of Innsbruck in Austria.
As for the WSC’s Manchester debut, which is being organised in collaboration with the City Council, Manchester Accommodation BID, MCR Active and the National Lottery via UK Sport investment.
It’s not the only big sporting celebration that the Council will be supporting in 2027.
Paul Ratcliffe, CEO of the British Mountaineering Council, said in an official statement: “It’s exciting to be able to confirm that a World Series climbing event will return to the UK in 2027 as part of the BMC’s major event programme.
“Hosting a competition of this scale in Manchester is a strong statement about the UK’s place on the international climbing stage and a great opportunity for our athletes, fans, the climbing community and the wider public to experience the sport at the very highest level.
“Our ‘Route to Adventure’ strategy sets out how we will build on moments like this to support people into climbing and help them progress, whatever their starting point. Using major events to inspire participation, strengthen pathways and reinforce our commitment to inclusion is central to our long-term approach.”
Scheduled to take place in June, you can find out more information about the 2027 World Climbing Series in Manchester by signing up for the official event mailing list HERE.
Manchester City agree deal to sign top Premier League defender Marc Guehi
Danny Jones
It looks like they’ve finally got a done deal: Manchester City have reportedly agreed a deal for the transfer of highly sought-after defender Marc Guehi.
Man City are said to have finally reached an agreement with Crystal Palace to sign the increasingly established Three Lions star after emerging as a suitor in recent weeks.
Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of the impressive Premier League centre-back ramped up earlier this month, as it became apparent that they were hoping to hijack Liverpool’s prospective move for Guehi.
The Ivory Coast-born England international looked all set to arrive at Anfield back in the summer, but the deal never materialised, and now rivals City appear to have sealed his signature.
According to breaking transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano, Palace and Man City are said to have now reached an agreement in principle for approximately £20 million.
It’s fair to say that it’s an absolute bargain for a player of his quality.
While details surrounding contract length, wages and add-ons, etc., are yet to be fully confirmed (as is final verification as per an official announcement via his new employers), personal terms are not expected to be an issue.
On the other hand, the acquisition will also see Man City’s total spending to roughly half a billion pounds over the past year alone. Staggering sums for any sporting outfit.
Not that his former London team will mind one bit, of course, as it became increasingly clear that Guehi would be leaving eventually; manager Oliver Glasner – who also seems set to depart at the end of his contract – even addressed the sale in his most recent press conference.
You can see the clip in question down below.
''I wish him all the best for the rest of his career, he will have a great career I think''
Once again, we will have to wait for the official unveiling at the Etihad Campus, but we’d say that this interview is all the verification you need.
With Man City currently facing multiple absences, particularly in their backline with both Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias out injured, Guehi’s arrival is no doubt a welcome one.
Although many debated whether or not Pep needed to sign another centre-half, especially with two promising youth players returning from loan, supporters will nevertheless be glad to have snatched him from the clutches of Liverpool.
Over in the women’s team, they’ve also brought in a new member of the squad who could help spur on their title charge.
Danny Jones -
4th April 2023 
