MONTREAL, July 9, 2025 — Imam Khataev had been informed of a sanctioning decision rendered by the International Testing Agency (ITA), the agency in charge of the International Boxing Association (IBA)’s anti-doping program, which Imam Khataev adhered to in his amateur days as a member of the Russian National Team.
Under the ITA decision, Imam is found to have committed an anti-doping violation related to an adverse finding coming from an out-of-competition doping control conducted on April 9, 2024, where minute amounts of clomifene appears to have been found in the collected sample.
The adverse finding was unexpected and deeply concerning to Imam. Imam categorically denies the intentional or knowingly ingestion of any banned substances and insists that the only possible explanation for this adverse analytical finding is food contamination. Indeed, Imam’s anti-doping control took place at dawn during Ramadan, shortly after the nightly feast that breaks the fast. At the time, Imam had a high-protein diet and must have unknowingly consumed clomifene-contaminated food, which, in turn, must have directly affected the adverse analytical finding.
The ITA decision also confirms that “there is no substantive element on record to establish that [Imam’s Anti-Doping Rule Violation] was intentional”.
In addition, it is important to stress that Imam has been tested repetitively in recent years, and the results have always been negative. In addition, Imam has been enrolled in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Clean Boxing Program administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) since August 2024.
For instance, Imam tested negative just a few months before the adverse finding of April 2024 and at least four (4) times since the ITA doping control of April 2024:
- In an out-of-competition doping control conducted by ITA on December 15, 2023;
- In two in-competition doping controls conducted by the Quebec Athletic Commission on January 13, 2024 and September 5, 2024;
- In a doping control conducted by RUSADA in August 2024;
- In doping controls conducted by VADA on samples collected on May 27, 2025 and June 18, 2025. Copies of the negative results are attached (HERE).
Therefore, Imam did not knowingly or intentionally take anything that would violate any anti-doping regulations. This is all the more the case in light of the numerous anti-doping tests carried out since April 2024, all of which have proved negative.
Imam will not be making any further comment on the matter.
