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
Manchester Storm’s record-breaking return to AO Arena goes down a storm with fans
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Storm have made their grand return to the AO Arena, after more than two decades away from their former home.
And it appears the ice hockey craze (which may have been spurred on by a certain Heated Rivalry) is here to stay, with record-breaking numbers piling into the venue for Sunday’s match against Sheffield Steelers.
The AO Arena has now shared that a record crowd of 11,000 fans attended the long-awaited Manchester Storm homecoming last week.
The action has gone down a storm with fans, with plenty of chatter on social media (and videos of a certain fight) doing the rounds.
Manchester Storm’s homecoming has now smashed the record for an Elite Hockey pre-season fixture, with fans travelling from across Manchester and beyond.
As the team enters this new era, bidding farewell to the ‘Storm Shelter’ in Altrincham that’s been their home for a decade, demand for tickets is continuing to grow.
This is the first time fans have been able to see the club on the ice at the AO Arena since 2004, and last weekend they thrilled supporters with a 5-5 draw agains the Steelers.
Manchester Storm is now set to bring approximately 35 games to the city centre each year, providing a regular programme of major sporting events for Manchester and its visitors.
It also brings elite-level hockey back to one of Europe’s largest indoor sporting arenas.
Gemma Vaughan, General Manager at the AO Arena says, “Tonight is a hugely significant moment for Manchester.
“To welcome Manchester Storm back to their former home after more than 20 years, and to do so in front of a record Elite Hockey League crowd, is incredibly special.
“The response from supporters has demonstrated the strength of Manchester’s passion for ice hockey and the demand for world-class sport in the city. We’re proud to be able to provide a home for the Storm as they begin this exciting new chapter.”
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Danny Jones -
4th April 2023 
