Russian President Putin says, WADA doping ban 'not justified'

During a press conference, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the four-year ban handed to his nation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is not fair and is politically motivated. Russia was banned by the WADA for four years participating in any international sporting competition.

Russia to appeal

During the press conference, Putin said that bans are handed out to an individual and never on a collective basis. The fact that Russia as a nation was banned is not justified. Russia has signalled it will file an appeal against its four-year Olympic ban due to World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions. The Russian anti-doping agency’s supervisory board voted Thursday to file an arbitration case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. WADA last week ruled Russia had manipulated doping laboratory data to cover up past offences.

The decision must be approved by another panel of Russian sports and anti-doping figures, but that seems a formality. Most of the panel’s members, including the Russian Olympic Committee and Russian Paralympic Committee, have said they want an appeal. The case could be sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within the next two weeks.

Read: 'Foreigners Have No Locus Standi': MEA's Raveesh Kumar On Anti-CAA Agitation

Read: Uddhav Thackeray 'dummy CM' As He Needs Sonia & Pawar's Nod: Mungantiwar

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics of 2022 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar – these are the major tournaments that Russia are slated to miss due to the ban. Russia is likely to be eligible to return to major international competitions in early 2024.

There was some reprieve for the Russian athletes after the Russia doping scandal. Athletes who can prove they have no links to the doping scandal will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag in the aforementioned international tournaments. RUSADA also has a period of three weeks to appeal against the ban. If they choose to appeal, the matter will be handed over to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Read: 'Protests Show Democracy Is Not Down': Salman Khurshid Hails Anti-CAA Agitation

Read: Russia Issues Advisory To Citizens Travelling To India Amid Anti-CAA Protests