Ghana’s boxing coach Francis Ofori Asare has commented on the Commonwealth Games suspension for Shakul Samed in 2022 owing to drug offenses.
Shakul Samed, one of the nine boxers that Ghana sent to the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was banned for breaking anti-doping regulations, hence he was unable to compete.
A statement issued by the Commonwealth Games Federation said that . “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. His A sample was found to contain a prohibited substance (diuretic and masking agent – Furosemide).”
Coach Asare responded to the issue by blaming ignorance, saying they lacked access to experts who could have taught them the anti-doping regulations.
“We didn’t have education on doping and I was only advising them based on what I know. I believe that Shakul Samed was disqualified for violating doping rules because he took something he didn’t know was against the rules. He just didn’t know about the rules. He was just ignorant about the whole doping regulations.”
In an interview, he noted that the only way to stop similar occurrences from occurring again is to acquire access to technical personnel who can inform the boxers about the doping regulations.
