(Reuters) – Britain’s Conor Benn said the World Boxing Council (WBC) had done him a “disservice” when it suggested his failed drugs tests were caused by an excessive consumption of eggs after the governing body cleared him of intentional doping last week.
Benn, 26, also criticised the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) for lacking consideration for his mental state and reiterated his innocence in a statement on social media on Tuesday.
The WBC ruled on Feb. 22 Benn’s “highly elevated consumption of eggs” was a reasonable explanation for failed tests last year. It found no procedural failures and no conclusive evidence that Benn had intentionally ingested the banned substance Clomiphene.
Positive findings for “trace amounts of a fertility drug” in a random test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) led to Benn’s fight with compatriot Chris Eubank Jr being called off in October.
“In my defence to the WBC and the 270-page report provided to them, at no point did I indicate that I failed any VADA tests because of contaminated eggs,” Benn said. “I feel like the WBC statement did a disservice to my defence.
“As part of its lengthy investigation, the WBC instructed its own experts to review my supplements and diet, and they concluded that egg contamination was the most likely cause.
“My sample appears to have come back clear the first three times it was tested. Without explanation it was retested again after nine days and only then did it show a trace positive result.”
Benn, whose father Nigel was a super-middleweight world champion, relinquished his licence with the BBBofC after his fight with Eubank Jr was called off. He remains under investigation by UKAD, Britain’s anti-doping body.
The BBBofC said last Wednesday it was not part of the WBC’s review.
“I have never previously failed any kind of anti-doping test, and passed multiple tests with both UKAD and VADA in close proximity to the two tests that returned adverse findings,” Benn added.
“This adds further proof to my belief that the findings were testing errors.
“As for the BBBofC, they attacked me publicly and privately during the most difficult time in my life, treating me with utter contempt and without any consideration for fair process or my mental state.”
The WBC and BBBofC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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