Nigeria’s Africa Games lightweight champion, Cynthia Ogunsemilore (pictured) has denied doping allegations by the International Testing Agency (ITA) which has provisionally suspended the star boxer from taking part in the Paris Olympics.
ITA said Ogunsemilore tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide in a sample taken on Friday, July 26. Furosemide is a masking agent.
The southpaw Nigerian boxer, one of Africa’s hot prospects for a medal in Paris, however denied the allegations, and demanded another test to prove her innocence.
“This looks like a set up to tarnish my image and deny me a chance to win Olympic gold, I have never doped in my life, maybe they mistook my sample with somebody else’s but not me,” a relaxed Cynthia told me today in a telephone interview from Paris.
“They want to ruin my career, I’m still in the Games Village and tonight there’s a hearing during which I’ll explain to them I have not taken anything and they can test me again I prove them wrong.”
Nigeria’s coach in Paris, Adura Olalehin who’s a light-heavyweight bronze medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, is still mum on the issue. He’s probably leading the onslaught to prove Cynthia’s innocence.
Credit: AFBC Communications
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