World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman commented on doping this week and addressed the Conor Benn test failure.
Speaking in his latest’ 12th Round,’ Sulaiman seemed to make a point of spotlighting adverse findings after a troubling week for boxing.
Mentioning the WBC Program that Benn got removed from in January, Sulaiman is proud that the system makes a difference.
World Boxing Council Clean Boxing Program
“In 2015, the Clean Boxing Program “CBP” was created to take a step forward and address this sensitive issue,” said Sulaiman.
“The regulation and protocol were implemented and launched globally. All the WBC champions and the top 15 contenders in the rankings must be enrolled and registered in the program.
“The fighter who does not register is taken out of the rankings and cannot compete for any WBC championship.”
This happened to Benn. The Briton was added back some weeks later and ranked highly.
Outlining what the WBC CBP does, the President added: “It’s basically an out-of-competition program.
“VADA is in charge of all the administration of the CBP. VADA randomly selects several fighters each month with an unannounced test; they coordinate with the agency that will come to collect the tests, and from there, it is taken to the laboratory.
“All the members of this process have WADA certification, which is the World Anti-Doping Agency.
B sample
“The WBC receives the test results. There is a protocol to follow when there is an adverse result. There is a procedure that includes the investigation of everything relevant to the case and the athlete’s opportunity to request the opening of the “B” Sample.”
Benn’s B sample is yet to be released to the public.
The report outlined some important considerations about the WBC and the Clean Boxing Program.
They are:
We believe in the athlete’s innocence until the protocol’s result proves otherwise.
Each case is independent of any other case; each has specifics and cannot be compared to another situation.
Each substance is different from any other; it cannot be compared to all cases as one since the specific considerations of each substance and its effects are different.
There is nothing more important than the safety and protection of the athlete.
There is a large group of experts who participate in the analysis processes of each case separately.
Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr
Before concluding the address, Sulaiman specifically mentioned the failed Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr. event from October 8.
The comments come despite no WBC belt being on the line for the clash. Benn was a fringe WBA titleholder, but the World Boxing Association was not involved in the promotion due to the catchweight nature the boxers agreed.
“This past weekend, a fight in England had to be canceled due to a positive from a boxer. It was an event of great interest that had sold out the stadium with more than 20,000 fans.
“It’s a real shame that something like this has to happen for the boxing industry and the media to pay attention to the subject of doping.
“It is never considered how much has been done to improve. It only goes viral when there is a scandal like this.
“But as my dad used to say: “We are not in a popularity contest. We are here to make boxing safer for fighters.”
World Boxing Council pledge
On the continuation of the WBC CBP, Sulaiman concluded: “The World Boxing Council has financed this program for seven years already.
“We are investing significant money, resources, administration, and dedication from various people worldwide.”
Note: The other major bodies, the WBO, WBA, and IBF, use their own drug testing methods.
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