BANGKOK, May 8: Olympic bronze medallist Suriya Prasathinphimai has been suspended for one year by Thailand’s boxing authorities after a positive doping test.

Suriya won bronze in the middleweight division at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He tested positive during last year’s Southeast Asian Games, when he won gold in the 75kg division.

Suriya, 28, was stripped of that gold after testing positive.

General Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand, was quoted to say by the Bangkok Post newspaper on Thursday that Suriya claimed his innocence but ABAT had no choice but to enforce a ban.

Suriya was one of five SEA Games medallists to be stripped of their medals after positive doping tests.—AP