IWF meets with nine suspended Member Federations to support them begin process of anti-doping reform
The IWF President Dr. Tamas Ajan met with representatives of the nine suspended Member Federations (MFs) in Kazakhstan on Monday to discuss their anti-doping programmes and the changes they need to undergo to protect the integrity of sport within their countries.
The IWF Executive Board took the decision to suspend the nine countries last month after it had been found they had had three or more anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) during the retesting of samples taken during Beijing 2008 and London 2012. This forms part of the IWF’s commitment to protecting clean athletes and implementing robust anti-doping measures at both international and Member Federation level to address the incidence of doping in the sport. Where there have been historical problems with widespread doping, the IWF is putting in place measures to shield clean athletes and change cultures.
During the meeting in Kazkhstan, IWF’s independent Anti-Doping Commission Chair, Dr. Patrick Schamasch, and IWF Legal Counsel outlined the number of conditions that the MFs must meet to trigger a cultural shift in their countries and ensure a level-playing field at national level. These criteria include, among many other things, implementing the IWF Rules in their countries and constructing their national level ‘shields’ to protect clean athletes.
Further information was also given to the MFs about the Independent Monitoring Group, which is composed of independent anti-doping experts who will help each MF create a tailored action plan to address their issues. The Independent Monitoring Group will monitor the MF’s progress throughout the entire suspension period.
