FORMER LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT world champion boxer Amir Khan has been handed a two-year ban from all sport after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

UK Anti-Doping said the 36-year-old returned a positive result for the anabolic agent ostarine following his loss to Kell Brook in Manchester in February 2022.

Khan, who announced his retirement in May last year, accepted a violation of anti-doping rules but said he had not intentionally ingested the substance, an argument accepted by an independent panel following a hearing in January this year.

The ban is a sad final entry to a career which began so brightly, with a gold medal at the 2003 Junior Olympics followed by an Olympic silver in Athens aged just 17.

Khan made his professional debut in July 2005, became Commonwealth lightweight champion in 2007, and in July 2009 won the WBA light-welterweight title with victory over Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester.

Khan unified the WBA and IBF titles with a win over Zab Judah in 2011 but controversially lost his next fight to Lamont Peterson, who would subsequently test positive for synthetic testosterone.

Khan was first notified of his own positive result in April 2022 and given a provisional suspension, with charges following in July after he had announced his retirement with a 34-6 professional record.

Following the hearing on January 24 this year, the National Anti-Doping Panel issued its ruling on February 21, accepting Khan’s submission he had not taken the substance intentionally but imposing the ban on the basis of strict liability.

UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble said: “This case serves as a reminder that UKAD will diligently pursue anti-doping rule violations in order to protect clean sport.

“Strict liability means athletes are ultimately responsible for what they ingest and for the presence of any prohibited substances in a sample.

“It is important that all athletes and their support personnel, whatever level they are competing at, take their anti-doping responsibilities seriously. Not doing so risks damaging not only an athlete’s career, but also undermining public confidence in clean sport.”

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