WADA’s latest report should be taken seriously
The latest report of the Canadian sports lawyer Richard Mclaren, to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), on the allegations of drug use by over 1,000 Russian athletes, is serious. It is the final part of a long inquiry ordered by WADA on allegations of doping by athletes from Russia, in at least four world-class games, the last being the Sochi Olympics. The report, submitted on December 9, highlights the entire episode as “institutional doping conspiracy and cover up”, by the Russian Government. The major Government agencies reportedly involved in the conspiracy are: The Ministry of Sport, Russian Anti-Doping Agency, Centre of Sports Preparation in Russia, and Moscow laboratory.
The manipulations of doping controls were fully done with the assistance of the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service), as per the report. If the act has gone to such levels, WADA must initiate strict actions against all the agencies involved in the entire episode. The report says: “This systematic and centralised cover up and manipulation of the doping control process evolved and was refined over the course of its use at london 2012 Summer Games, Universiade Games 2013, Moscow IAAF World Championships 2013, and the Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.” As the evidences are purely based on forensic testing and not verbal testimony, they should have greater credibility, exposing the wide racket spreading over these crucial events. What is more disturbing is that the doping scandal has been allegedly managed by the Russian state, as revealed by Mclaren. Indeed, WADA president Craig Reedie called the findings “alarming”. To him, the report brought by Mclaren, would be of immediate value to sporting bodies, responsible for punishing those involved in doping cases.
How long will state-sponsored doping will continueIJ Will Russia acnowledge it or project it as a political vendetta targeted at President Vladimir Putin by the WestIJ As of now, Russia hasn’t showed any sign of accepting the report's findings, but said that it would study the report. Further, the Russian Government has outrightly denied the involvement of any state-supported programmes for doping. This means that there may be systematic attempts to sideline the conclusions; else an entire lot of alleged cover-ups by Russian sports authorities could come up. This may be a long drawn plan by the West to expose the ‘irregularities’ that have happened right under Putin’s nose. The report at least shows a massive cover-up on an unprecedented scale. And, it has been in practice for quite some time. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee, has extended provisional sanctions against Russian sport over the scandal. Besides, an international ban on the country's track and field athletes remains in force, pending an overhauling of its anti-doping system. This report is termed by international sports experts as a body blow to Russia's already tainted sports fraternity.