By Gary Anderson at the Main Press Centre in Glasgow

Northern Ireland boxer Paddy Barnes was furious at timing of drug tests as he prepares to box in the Commonwealth Games ©Getty ImagesNorthern Ireland's Paddy Barnes has expressed his fury at being forced to undergo a drugs test early this morning after an initial test had to be scrapped last night when he was unable to provide a sample due to dehydration.

Barnes, an Olympic bronze medallist at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012 representing Ireland, was visited by anti-doping officials at a training base here on Monday night, ahead of competing in the Commonwealth Games.

But the 27-year-old was unable to provide a sample after the gruelling workout, revealing he had been dehydrating himself in order to make weight prior to the light-flyweight weigh-in on Thursday (July 24).

He went on to claim he was not allowed to drink anything or have a shower, before officials eventually decided to abort the test allowing the boxer to return to the team base at 2am this oring.

That was followed by another visit from anti-doping officials this morning at 7.30am, which Barnes described as a "joke", going on to accuse anti-doping officials of not caring about athlete welfare.

Paddy Barnes was not best pleased at having to undergo a drugs test late last night and early this morning ©TwitterPaddy Barnes was not best pleased at having to undergo a drugs test late last night and early this morning ©Twitter




"Anti-doping let me home at 2am last night. Wake me up at 7.30am for another test! This is some preparation for the games," tweeted Barnes, who won gold at Delhi 2010.

In 2009, Belfast-born Barnes was sent home in disgrace from the World Championships in Milan, Italy and threatened with a five-year ban from the sport after reacting badly to his defeat against Kenya's Peter Mungai, including making an obscene hand gesture.

Barnes' team mate and fellow Olympic bronze medallist Michael Conlan was also subjected to the drug tests and he tweeted: "Anti doping turns up takes us without getting washed or dried. Soaked in sweat and dehydrated after training.

"This is calling for sickness. Disaster."

The boxing competitions at Glasgow 2014 are due to be held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) with the finals being staged at the SSE Hydro.

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