SPECIAL REPORT IN LIMBO, QAZAQ STYLE
A fter years of toiling in relative anonymity, it seemed that Janibek Alimkhanuly was finally on the verge of a breakthrough. The unified middleweight titleholder was set to face Erislandy Lara – holder of the WBA belt – on December 6 of last year. With a victory, “Qazaq Style” (who possessed the IBF and WBO straps) was set to become a three-belt champion. Lucrative opportunities loomed. That all came crashing down on the Tuesday before the fight when it was revealed that Alimkhanuly had failed a pre-fight test collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). There was an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance meldonium. This drug, which is purported to increase endurance and recovery, was created to treat cardiovascular disease. Because of potential benefits to athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned its use both in and out of competition in
JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY
WAS POISED TO BE THE MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION’S NEXT BIG THING, BUT A DRUG TEST POPPED THE BUBBLE AND LEFT HIS FUTURE UNCLEAR By Steve Kim
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