Nigerian gold medal weightlifter Chika Amalaha fails doping test in Commonwealth Games
DRUG offences are, unfortunately, an inevitable part of any major sporting event these days and the Commonwealth Games yesterday had its first in-competition anti-doping violation.
The Nigerian weightlifting gold medallist Chika Amalaha was provisionally suspended from the Games after providing an A sample that revealed traces of diuretics and masking agents.
The 16-year-old, winner of the women's 53kg category, will have a B sample tested at a laboratory in London today.
Mike Hooper, the Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive, said: "In general terms, these substances are on the prohibited list for two reasons - firstly in weight category sports they can be used to unfairly aid weight loss, and secondly, their use has been reported in attempts to mask the presence in the body of other prohibited substances."