Anti-doping agency chief to maximise government role
ATHENS - The World Anti-Doping Agency's new chief said on Thursday he would try to mobilise governments to have a greater role in the fight against doping because no sport or country was immune to the threat.Australian John Fahey, who took over from Richard Pound as WADA chief on January 1, said recent drugs cases had shown that the problem of doping knew no borders."I will be focusing much attention on maximising the role of governments for enhanced cooperation and sharing of information between governmental and law enforcement agencies and sports authorities," Fahey said after his first meeting with International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge in Lausanne."High-profile doping cases and investigations underscore the fact that no sport and no country are immune to the threat of doping, as well as the critical need for strong collaborative sport-government efforts in confronting doping," he said.Fahey, who was elected to lead WADA in November as the only candidate put forward by governments, is a former Australian Finance Minister with little experience in sports management.His election was marred by the abstention of European governments who had seen their candidate, Jean-Francois Lamour, withdraw weeks before the vote.Fahey though has enjoyed the backing of the IOC, a key player in WADA."Mr Fahey can count on the total commitment of the Olympic Movement in the fight against doping," said Rogge."Efforts are still needed to allow the full implementation of the Code by the Olympic Movement by 1 January 2009 and the adhesion by governments to the UNESCO Convention."Only 71 of 191 countries have adopted the anti-doping code as the IOC pursues a zero tolerance policy on drugs and has said athletes and their entourage who receive doping sanctions of six months or more would be banned from the next Olympic Games.
