By Ebube Dike

Ghanaian boxer Shakul Samed has been suspended from the Commonwealth Games after testing positive for a banned substance at the competition in Birmingham, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The Commonwealth Games Federation Anti-Doping and Medical Commission confirmed that the sample of Shakul Samed, a boxer from Ghana, violated anti-doping rules for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Samed’s A sample was found to contain the banned diuretic and masking agent Furosemide, the Commonwealth Games Federation said in a statement.

The Commonwealth Games Federation suspended Samed with immediate effect for violating anti-doping rules.

Samed has the unfortunate honour of becoming the first athlete at this year’s Games to fail a doping test.

The light-heavyweight boxer was scheduled to face Luc Jean Rosalba on Friday but did not show up for the weigh-in.

Samed, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is the first athlete to fail a drug test at the Birmingham Games, which began on Friday.

He will now have the opportunity to provide further information, including requesting analysis of his B sample, before any charge is issued.

Shakul had been been billed to fight Jean Luc Rosalba of Mauritius in the Light Heavyweight — but he is now suspended for suspected doping.

In a statement, the Commonwealth Games Federation says it has “a zero tolerance policy to doping in sport”, adding that they “seek to maintain the integrity of the Commonwealth Games by running a comprehensive anti-doping programme that focuses equally on education, prevention and testing.”