Zambia’s female boxing sensation, Catherine Phiri, has been slapped with a two-year ban from the sport after failing a doping test.
The country’s national broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), reports that the suspension comes after her samples tested positive for prohibited drug Furosemide on February 26 in the aftermath of the World Boxing Council (WBC) title fight, which she lost to Zimbabwe’s Kudakwashe Chiwandire.
The suspension has been meted out by the regional anti-doping organization, according to the report.
It was announced by the Zambia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board and the National Olympic Committee of Zambia in Lusaka today.
According to ZNBC, the tests revealed that Phiri used a prohibited drug called Furosemide, which is not a performance-enhancing drug but a loop used in the management of body swelling conditions.
Phiri has since apologized to her fans saying she took the drug without knowing it was on the list of banned substances.
She says she took the drug to help lose weight.
Phiri is a former WBC bantamweight champion.
Source: Channel Africa