RUSSIA BANNED SA TOKYO OLYMPICS, WORLD CUP

PINATAWAN ng ban ng pinakamataas na korte ng sport ang Russia mula sa international competiton sa loob ng dalawang taon, kabilang ang Tokyo Olympics at Beijing Winter Games.

Subalit ang paghati sa inisyal na parusa ay inilarawan ng isang US official bilang  “a catastrophic blow to clean athletes and the integrity of sport”.

Ang kautusan ng Court of Arbitration for Sport ay nagpaikli sa four-year ban para sa systematic doping na ipinataw ng World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“This Panel has imposed consequences to reflect the nature and seriousness of the non-compliance…and to ensure that the integrity of sport against the scourge of doping is maintained,” pahayag ng CAS sa desisyon nito.

“The consequences which the Panel has decided to impose are not as extensive as those sought by WADA,” nakasaad pa sa statement.

“This should not, however, be read as any validation of the conduct of RUSADA (Russia’s anti-doping watchdog) or the Russian authorities.”

Ang  ban ay tatagal hanggang  December 16, 2022, kaya sakop nito ang FIFA World Cup finals sa Qatar na matatapos pagkalipas ng dalawang araw.

Sa ilalim ng desisyon,  ang Russians ay papayagan pa ring lumahok, subalit bilang neutrals lamang kung mapatutunayan nilang walang koneksiyon doping.

Ikinatuwa ni WADA President Witold Banka ang ruling mula sa Lausanne-based CAS.

“WADA is pleased to have won this landmark case,” sabi ni Banka at idinagdag na ang desisyon “has clearly upheld our findings that the Russian authorities brazenly and illegally manipulated the Moscow Laboratory data in an effort to cover up an institutionalised doping scheme.”