Bonn (Germany), Oct 11 (IANS): The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned the former Paralympic champion Para powerlifter Paul Kehinde of Nigeria for 30 months for failing a dope test. Kehinde claimed that the substance was in the medication prescribed by a doctor but he did not claim Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) and verified that his prescribed medication was prohibited.
The anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) came off a sample collected in 2020 and will be backdated to the day the provisional suspension started.
The Nigerian, who won gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in the'men's up to 65kg, returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for prohibited substances in a urine sample provided out-of-competition on March 9, 2020 -- just before all sports activities went into lockdown mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The substances were hydrochlorothiazide and its metabolite and amiloride. The substances are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2020 Prohibited List under the class S5 Diuretics and Masking Agents. This is the a'hlete's second ADRV, the IPL said in a release.
As a result of his violation, Kehinde will be ineligible for competition for 30 months from March 9, 2020, to September 8, 2022. The results obtained by the athlete from the date the sample was collected will also be disqualified, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes, the IPC informed in a release on Monday.
James Sclater, Anti-Doping Director at the IPC, said: "This case may have been avoided if the athlete had followed the rules for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and verified that his prescribed medication was prohibited.
"The IPC would like to strongly remind all athletes who require the use of a prohibited substance or method, for a diagnosed medical condition, to apply for a TUE in accordance with the WADA ISTUE requirements," he was quoted as saying in the release.
As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (the WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC has established the IPC Anti-Doping Code (Code) in compliance with the general principles of the WADC, including the WADC International Standards, expecting that, in the spirit of sport, it will lead the fight against doping in sport for Athletes with an impairment.