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<\/p>\nA leading British boxer is hoping to escape a doping ban due to alleged errors in the way his blood and urine samples were handled.<\/p>\n
Dennis McCann, 24, an unbeaten super-bantamweight from London, had held the European title and was on the brink of challenging for world honours when the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) informed him in December that he had tested positive for three kinds of steroid.<\/p>\n
McCann, who had been due to fight on Tyson Fury\u2019s undercard in Saudi Arabia later that month, subsequently had his licence suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).<\/p>\n
The boxer, who denies knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs, was charged by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) on June 16, but an administrative dispute has become a key part of his defence.<\/p>\n
Vada, the independent anti-doping body that is often employed to carry out extra testing for high-profile fights, collected blood and urine samples from McCann in Liverpool at 8.32am on November 30. However, the chain of custody records relating to his sample show that McCann\u2019s test was entered a day earlier on November 29.<\/p>\n
The transfer to courier by the doping control officer was listed as 9.15am on December 2, but a receipt from the delivery company DHL shows the package was collected at 12.50pm the previous day.<\/p>\n
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McCann is undefeated in 17 professional fights since 2019<\/p>\n
RICHARD PELHAM\/THE SUN<\/p>\n
A DHL waybill also states that a total of five blood samples and seven urine samples were contained in the package sent by the doping control officer. However, a DHL Medical Express lab receipt records that five blood samples and 16 urine samples were received on December 4.<\/p>\n
McCann\u2019s legal team are expected to argue that the discrepancy over the dates fundamentally compromises the validity of McCann\u2019s samples.<\/p>\n
Clearidium, a leading anti-doping test provider contracted by Vada, said it had reviewed the full digital audit trail and supporting documentation and concluded: \u201cThere is no evidence of mishandling or procedural failure. The perceived discrepancies are explainable through standard operational practices created by Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency] and digital traceability. The integrity of the sample and the change of custody is intact, and there is no legal basis to dispute the result.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is understood the tracking data for the sample began on November 29 because the doping control officer was on a multi-athlete testing mission that began the previous evening in the UK, and the additional urine samples related to the fact the shipment also included tests carried out at a boxing event two days earlier in Qatar.<\/p>\n
McCann\u2019s legal team are also expected to argue that Vada passed on information about his test results to certain parties without obtaining the appropriate consent.<\/p>\n
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Dr Sajjad, left, has listed Benn among his clients<\/p>\n
In a statement, Vada said: \u201cMr McCann submitted the required forms for enrolment in the Vada program; received documentation from Vada regarding who was to receive his results; executed the Doping Control Form at the time of sample collection; and willingly submitted to the collection of his biological specimens.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust as Vada reported Mr McCann\u2019s prior negative results to the appropriate authorities, to which he had no complaint, Vada reported his adverse results to the same appropriate authorities. Anti-doping results are released to the appropriate organisations per Vada policy.\u201d<\/p>\n