The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday that a "small, politically motivated group of detractors" is trying to destabilize its anti-doping program by criticizing the decision on reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2018) The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday that a "small, politically motivated group of detractors" is trying to destabilize its anti-doping program by criticizing the decision on reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
In September, WADA's President Craig Reedie said that most members of the WADA Executive Committee had voted to reinstate the status of RUSADA following its suspension in 2015 over violations of the World Anti-Doping Code. Nine out of 12 WADA Executive Committee members voted for the reinstatement of RUSADA. Olympic champion from Canada Beckie Scott has resigned from the the WADA compliance and review committee in a protest over WADA's decision.
"It's clear there is a small, politically motivated group of detractors who since the decision on RUSADA's reinstatement one month ago have attempted to destabilise the global anti-doping programme by criticising WADA, the Olympic Movement and the Governments of the world, who voted for the reinstatement of RUSADA ... This coordinated group have aligned themselves with some genuinely concerned athletes in order to further their own motives," WADA spokesperson told the Insidethegames media outlet.
WADA urges "to put aside these political motives" in order to ensure Russia's compliance with reinstatement conditions, according to the spokesperson.
"The RUSADA decision was the right one for clean sport and WADA is in a stronger position because of it ... Actually, it is a win-win," the spokesperson underlined.
WADA's decision to reinstate RUSADA was met with criticism from a number of officials and agencies. Particularly, the UK Anti-Doping authority (UKAD) questioned the agency's independence in the vote. Canadian professor Richard McLaren, the author of the high-profile WADA report on doping in Russian sports, claimed the decision showed that WADA had abandoned the idea of making Russia comply with the rules.
