Thai shuttler Ratchanok Intanon cleared of doping violation

Star Thai shuttler Ratchanok Intanon was on Monday cleared of doping allegations, paving the way for her to compete in next month's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed that a doping hearing panel had cleared Intanon of any anti-doping rule violation and had lifted a provisional suspension imposed on the World No.4 player last Wednesday, reports Efe.

She is now permitted to participate in competitions with immediate effect.

The accusations against Intanon stemmed from a urine sample she provided on May 15, which was found to contain the drug Triamcinolone Acetonide.

However, following evidence submitted at the trial on Saturday, including medical records and expert witness testimony, the BWF concluded that the substance was "part of on-going medical treatment" and no violation of the regulations was committed.

The Badminton Association of Thailand announced the results of the trial at a press conference on Monday morning, and explained that the suspicions had centred on an injection that Intanon received for a leg injury earlier this year, the Bangkok Post reports.

Intanon shared the news on Facebook under the message "feeling relieved".

Hundreds of fans responded with messages of congratulations.

Intanon, who is part of Thailand's squad for the Rio Olympics, will now focus on practising for next month's Games.

--IANS

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