Olympic gold medalist and current world record-holder in the men’s 65kg weightlifting category, Paul Kehinde, popularly called Olumi Agberin, has reportedly passed away.
According to DailyPost, Kehinde died at the age of 33 on Thursday, November 19 after a brief illness.
He was a former world number 1 Para Powerlifter, and Commonwealth Games Champion.
His death comes over a month after International Paralympic Committee (IPC) issued a 30-month ban to Para powerlifter for committing an anti-doping rule violation.
Read Also: Nigerian Para Powerlifter, Paul Kehinde Gets 30-Month Ban For Violating Anti-Doping Rule
In a statement by IPC, Kehinde tested positive for prohibited substances following a urine sample provided out-of-competition on 9 March 2020, making this his second ADRV.
The substances; hydrochlorothiazide and its metabolite and amiloride are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency 2020 Prohibited List under the class S5 Diuretics and Masking Agents.
IPC’s Anti-Doping Director, James Sclater noted that the athlete could have avoided the ban if he had followed laid down rules.
Kehinde’s achievements include winning a Silver at the 2011 World Championship, Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Gold at the 2015 All African Games (setting an African record of 214 kg).
The deceased also won Gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games (broke the world record twice with lifts of 218kg and 220kg), Gold at the Mexico World Championship with another world record lift of 220kg and then another Gold at the 2018 FAZZA World Para-Powerlifting Championship with a record-breaking lift of 220kg.
Kehinde also won Gold at the 2018 African championship.
May his soul rest in peace.
