British heavyweight boxer of Nigerian descent, Lawrence Okolie, has returned an adverse doping test ahead of his scheduled fight against France’s Olympic champion Tony Yoka in Paris this weekend, promoters Queensberry confirmed on Tuesday.
In a statement, Queensberry Promotions disclosed that the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) notified them of the failed test following routine screening conducted in the build-up to Saturday’s bout.
“Last night, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed Queensberry that Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted ahead of the show in Paris this Saturday,” the statement read, adding that further updates on the event would be communicated in due course.
The development casts doubt over the highly anticipated clash with Yoka, a gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and raises fresh concerns about the integrity of the fight card.
Okolie, 33, a former world champion at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, responded swiftly to the allegations, insisting the result was linked to medical treatment for an injury sustained during training.
“Before anyone starts imagining the worst, following my bicep injury last year, I sustained an elbow injury on the same arm during this camp,” Okolie said via social media.
“I had a treatment on it and now we are here. I truly hope sense prevails. I will of course be fully co-operating with all relevant authorities and I’m confident any investigation will clear my name.”
The British-Nigerian fighter, who also represented Team GB at the 2016 Olympics, has been positioning himself for a shot at the WBC heavyweight title. He is currently ranked number one contender behind reigning champion Oleksandr Usyk and interim title holder Agit Kabayel.
With the Paris bout now in jeopardy, attention will turn to the outcome of further testing and investigations, which will determine both Okolie’s immediate future and his ambitions in the heavyweight division.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
