Janibek Alimkhanuly’s manager comments on doping situation

A positive doping test result for Alimkhanuly was recorded in December last year. According to American journalist Steve Kim, on May 7 last year the athlete sought medical assistance after experiencing severe headaches, nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Several weeks earlier, on April 25, Alimkhanuly had fought Anauel Ngamissengue in Astana.

At the clinic, the boxer was prescribed a course of treatment with the drug Ripronat, which contains meldonium. The medication was administered intravenously due to the acute nature of his condition.

As Egis Klimas noted, at the time medical care was provided, the use of this drug did not violate existing regulations. According to him, meldonium can remain in the body for up to nine months. At that time, Alimkhanuly had no scheduled bouts and was not included in the doping testing pool. In addition, the medication used is legal in Kazakhstan and is applied in standard medical practice.

The decision issued by the World Boxing Organization also states that the administration of meldonium was carried out solely as part of emergency medical treatment and was medically justified. At the same time, the organization’s regulations stipulate that the presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete’s body itself constitutes grounds for disciplinary action, regardless of the reasons for its use.

The absence of similar violations in the past was recognized as a mitigating factor. During the period of suspension, Alimkhanuly will be subject to additional testing and, upon returning to the ring, will be required to face the WBO interim middleweight champion.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the WBO had imposed a one-year suspension on Janibek Alimkhanuly while allowing him to retain his championship title. During the suspension, the boxer will be barred from participating in both professional and exhibition bouts.