ASOIF against blanket ban of Russian athletes at Rio Olympics
Moscow, July 19 (IANS) The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) on Tuesday announced that it stands against the banning of the entire Russian Olympic team at the Rio Games starting from August 5.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission, chaired by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, released a report on Monday on the results of its probe into the accusations of doping and manipulation of tests by Russian athletes and officials at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, reports TASS.
The commission found evidence that Russia’s Sports Ministry and the Center for the Training of Russian National Teams and the Federal Security Service supported the doping programme in Russian sports.
Following the report, WADA recommended that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and all international sports federations ban Russian athletes from all international sports competitions, including Rio 2016.
In its statement released on Tuesday, Switzerland-based ASOIF said it “received the McLaren report and recognises the gravity and extent of the doping activities in Russia noting that 20 of its 28 member international Federations have Russian athletes who are implicated by its findings”.
“We request WADA to immediately provide all the detailed information to the 20 International Federations concerned so that they may begin processing the individual cases under their own separate rules and regulations as soon as possible and in line with the WADA Code and the Olympic Charter,” the statement said.
“It is important to focus on the individual justice in all these cases. ASOIF fully supports a policy of zero tolerance in bringing all individuals linked to anti-doping violations to justice.”
According to the organisation’s official webpage, ASOIF’s mission is to unite, promote and support the International Summer Olympic Federations; to preserve their autonomy, while coordinating their common interests and goals.
ASOIF’s role is to serve and represent the Summer Olympic International Federations in the most competent, articulate and professional manner on issues of common interest in the Summer Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement, and on any other matter deemed necessary by the international federations.