Paul Kehinde, Paralympics champ, dies at 33

Paul Kehinde, Nigerian Paralympics gold medalist, has died at 33 after a brief illness.

The Para-powerlifter’s death was announced in a statement by the ministry of sports on Friday.

The statement said that Kehinde died on Thursday in Lagos.

“The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is saddened to learn of the passing of our Paralympic champion Paul Kehinde,” the statement read.

“Aged thirty-three (33), Kehinde who is the current World Record holder in the men’s 65kg para powerlifting category, passed on in Lagos on Thursday.

“The Ministry commiserates with his family, friends, colleagues and the entire Paralympic sports community over the loss.”

The death comes barely one month after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had announced a 30-month ban on the athlete for violating anti-doping rules.

It was gathered that the Rio 2016 Paralympic gold medalist returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for prohibited substances in a urine sample provided out-of-competition on March 9, 2020.

According to IPC, Kehinde’s urine sample contained hydrochlorothiazide and its metabolite and amiloride, which are included on the world anti-doping agency (WADA) 2020 prohibited list under the class S5 diuretics and masking agents.

Consequently, Kehinde was pronounced ineligible for competition for thirty months from March 9, 2020, to September 9, 2022.

At the 2016 Olympics, Kehinde won gold after lifting 218kg to set a world and Paralympic record of 220kg with a bonus effort.

In the men’s under-72kg category at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, he also lifted 221kg for gold.

Kehinde could not successfully defend his title at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, losing out to Ezuruike for the gold, but did take silver.