OLDBURY-based British Wrestling champion Chinu Sandhu has been given a four-year ban after failing a drugs test.

The eight-time British champion, 29, who competed in the 125kg men's freestyle and bagged a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was handed the ban by UK Anti-Doping after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol in an out-of-competition test on September 20, 2016.

A national anti-doping panel rejected Sandhu’s claim of unintentional use and imposed the maximum sanction for first-time offenders.

UK Anti-Doping chief executive, Nicole Sapstead, said: “Chinu Sandhu was one of this country’s leading freestyle wrestlers having won a bronze medal at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and represented Great Britain at the European Games in Baku in 2015. It is sad that his reputation within the sport has been tainted because of his own actions.

“Athletes are solely responsible for any substance which is found in their system, regardless of whether there is an intention to cheat or not. No one can ever guarantee that a supplement is free from prohibited substances and taking them will always carry an element of risk.

“Our advice is clear – before taking any supplement, athletes must assess the need. It is then imperative that they assess the risk of use by carrying out thorough research."

A spokesman for British Wresting added: "Chinu was found to have had a metabolite of the anabolic steroid stanazol in the sample provided. In the 2015 Anti-Doping Code the penalty for such an anti-doping rule violation is a four year ban from sport.

"The British Wrestling Association (BWA) believes in wrestling clean and works in close partnership with UK Anti-Dopin (UKAD) and United World Wrestling to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.

The BWA has committed itself to publicising Anti-Doping Rule Violations in wrestling in the UK, such that our Wrestling Community can be in no doubt that all members are covered by the rules and can be tested at any time, regardless of age or location, and that any transgression will be dealt with according to the UKAD Rules - in order that clean wrestlers can be assured of a 'level playing field'.”