Russia wants UN to discuss contentious anti-doping system

Moscow, Dec 7: (IANS) Russia proposes that the United Nations should discuss the double standards exercised by international anti-doping agency, which secretly issued permissions for athletes to consume banned performance enhancing drugs, Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin has said.

Churkin said that such a situation looks "extremely hypocritical" in view of the suspension of the whole Russian Paralympic team from the 2016 Rio Games "only on grounds of suspicions," reports Tass.

"Such situation can be hardly accepted as the one in compliance with justice, equal approach and fair game," the Russian diplomat said on Tuesday. "We propose to discuss this situation in the United Nations."

Churkin said that the international anti-doping system must be transparent and provide for the undisputable equality of all athletes.

"On the whole, it is necessary to work out unified requirements of doping control," the Russian UN envoy added. "Not only athletes, but the public society must have access to the information regarding doping tests."

Churkin continued that Russia for its part was open for cooperation in the fight against doping abuse and was currently implementing the national plan on this issue and toughening legislations envisaging criminal responsibility for the promotion and encouragement of performance enhancing drugs in sports.

"However, it is high time to clear out whether everything is so fine beyond the Russian borders," he said.

"In this regard, it is inadmissible to ignore the information, which the international sports society recently learnt, that anti-doping bodies were giving secret consent for the use of strong drugs to athletes who had been winning major tournaments in recent years and earning tens of millions of dollars."

"All statements that such athletes were suffering from grave diseases contradict common sense," the Russian diplomat added.

Several months ago the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged reforms in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

An issue of reforms within WADA emerged after the report of agency's Independent Commission on the allegedly widespread doping abuse in Russia, which led to the partial ban of the country's national Olympians from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the suspension of the entire Paralympic team from the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil.