The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has accused the US government drug control policy (ONDCP) of trying to discredit the organization after a recommendation was sent to Congress to strip it of funding. According to representatives of the department, the report contains inaccurate information that can be misleading.
“Given the fact that the US has been a member of the WADA Board of Founders since its inception in 1999, we were extremely concerned that ONDCP brought charges against us without due regard to the facts and context, and also without raising any of these issues in the time of joint meetings of the WADA Founders Council, ”the statement said on the official website of the anti-doping agency.
As proof of their innocence, WADA released its version of the original revisions asking them to submit the correct version to the US Congress.
In a cover letter to ONDCP head James Carroll, WADA President Vitold Banka also expressed disappointment at the incident, stressing that US actions as a member of the agency’s board diverge. In particular, American representatives supported the reforms of 2018, and also approved a development plan for the next four years.
“I remain convinced that the US government has an important role to play in protecting pure sport, and I sincerely hope that we will continue our cooperation in the future and that WADA will not have to defend itself against unreasonable attacks carried out through the media, which in no way contribute to the achievement of progress in implementing a global anti-doping program for the benefit of athletes around the world, ”said Banca.
The call to stop funding the anti-doping agency became known a few days ago. ONDCP proposed this option to Congress if WADA does not undergo drastic changes regarding its management apparatus, as well as spending finances.
Thus, the letter emphasized that the agency receives $ 2.7 million annually from the United States, which significantly exceeds the amount of payments from other countries. Moreover, 14.5% of WADA's annual revenues are also due to the American authorities. At the same time, ONDCP had questions about the process of using these funds, which should be "transparent and independent."
In this regard, it is proposed that seats on the board be allocated in accordance with the amount received from each country.
"American taxpayers should get a tangible return on their investment in WADA in the form of pure sport, fair play, effective management of the global anti-doping system and a commensurate voice in the decision-making process of WADA," The Washington Post quoted the agency.
In addition, the United States has criticized the direct activities of the anti-doping agency. In particular, the American side is still unhappy with the sanctions imposed by WADA against Russia.
“In my opinion, this report is a revealing, but accurate charge against the WADA leadership regarding its inability to serve pure athletes. Let's hope that for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the agency’s leadership this will be the last alarm signal that will push them to solve problems before it is too late, ”said Travis Tigart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
The response of WADA representatives regarding the financial component of the charges was not long in coming. In their statement, they emphasized that seats on the board cannot be allocated depending on the amount contributed by each country. First of all, this would be unfair to the athletes themselves. For the same reason, only rich countries cannot remain in his chapter.
“WADA cannot be controlled only by a narrow circle of the richest countries. Athletes competing with athletes from the United States come from all over the world, and in fairness, we want rivals of American athletes to obey the same strict rules that they themselves. For this, it is necessary that all regions of the world be represented in the agency, ”WADA Reuters quoted the statement as saying.