Zimbabwe: Zim Boxer Aliyah Phiri Suspended for Doping, Stripped of African Boxing Union Lightweight Title

19 November 2024

Zimbabwe boxer Aliyah Phiri has been suspended for doping after testing positive for Furosemide.

The 24-year-old has also been stripped of his African Boxing Union lightweight belt which he defended in March in a fight against Tanzania's Saidi Mkola held in Harare.

Phiri's ban was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Olympics Committee on Monday following the outcome of his doping test conducted in March during his match with Mkola.

Furosemide is a prohibited substance under section S1.1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency reason being that it enhances performance and is used as a masking agent for other banned substances.

For violating anti-doping rules Phiri was handed a one-year ban which will run until March 2025.

"Issa Aliyah Phiri has accepted the charges related to the ADRV and acknowledges the consequences of his actions.

"Consequently, he will serve a period of ineligibility of two (2) years, retroactively effective from 22 March 2024 to 21 March 2026.

"This period includes disqualification of all results obtained since 22 March 2024, along with all resulting consequences.

"However, having accepted the consequences by 21 October 2024, Phiri's period of ineligibility has been reduced by one year.

"Therefore, he will now be ineligible from 22 March 2024 to 21 March 2025, with no further hearings required," read part of the Zimbabwe Olympics Committee statement on Phiri's suspension.

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