Selby brothers call for lifetime bans for doping violations

27 May 2016 03:53

IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby and his British flyweight champion brother Andrew have called for lifetime bans for fighters found guilty of doping.

News broke on Thursday of Lucien Bute failing a doping test for last month's majority draw with WBC super-middleweight title-holder Badou Jack.

That came less than a fortnight after Alexander Povetkin's WBC heavyweight title fight with champion Deontay Wilder was cancelled when the Russian tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.

At a time when the International Olympic Committee has revealed 23 athletes involved at London 2012 - where Andrew Selby competed - have failed drugs tests, there is an increased scrutiny on the subject.

Lee even suspects he has fought an opponent guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs, and he and his brother believe boxing's authorities need to become ruthless.

"If you get caught taking performance-enhancing drugs, you should get a life ban," said Lee, 29. "Someone can get hurt.

"It's not like it's weightlifting; you're punching each other in the head, it's dangerous.

"It's coming out more at the moment. Maybe the testing's getting better. A lot more people are getting caught.

"Bute (surprised me). (But) some fighters are getting caught taking drugs and they're fighting again. You shouldn't have a loss on your record if an opponent's been found taking drugs.

"I'm on a scheme where I have to give an hour time slot every day (to be tested). If I sleep elsewhere I've got to update my profile, let them know where I'm staying. If I didn't give them the information, that comes up as a strike, and if you get three strikes you can get a two-year ban.

"I've got to give them at least three days a week when I'm going to be at the gym. It's been two months, but I think there's roughly 200 or 300 athletes. (UK Anti-Doping) said it's the higher-level athletes, and that I'll be doing it for as long as I'm competing.

"I like the system, but they should be doing it to more people, not just individuals like myself."

Lee then explained he remained suspicious of an unnamed past opponent, saying: "When he was a younger, fitter guy, he wasn't in that type of shape."

Andrew said he had reduced his intake of supplements to just Vitamin C through fears he may unknowingly consume a banned substance.

Among Andrew's team-mates at London 2012, incidentally, was Nicola Adams, who earlier on Friday won a gold medal at flyweight at the AIBA World Championships in Kazakhstan, adding to her previous golds at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

"It's unbelievable," said the 27-year-old Andrew. "She's added this gold to every single medal: worlds, Olympics, European. I've sparred her when I was on Team GB; she's a very tricky opponent, she'd catch me.

"She's our best ever amateur, her record says it all, and she's a role model to other girls who want to fight."

Source: PA