‘Good signal’: new Polish anti-doping chief on ban for Russia

Polish ex-sports minister Witold Bańka, who is set to take over as the new head of the World Anti-Doping Agency on January 1, has said a decision to ban Russia from the Olympics for four years is a “good signal” in terms of fighting drug cheats.

WADA President-Elect Witold Bańka and the agency’s current head, Craig Reedie, at a press conference in Lausanne on Monday

Photo: EPA/LAURENT GILLIERON

"This is a very good signal when it comes to combating doping in the future," Bańka said, speaking in Lausanne, Switzerland.

WADA on Monday banned Russia from the world’s top sporting events for four years.

These include the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 and the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.

The decision was made in response to Russian tampering with doping-related laboratory data.

The sanctions were unanimously backed by 12 members of WADA’s executive committee, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Russian athletes will not be able to compete in Tokyo and Beijing in their national colours, but they could take part under a neutral flag, PAP added.

Bańka last month vowed to get tough on Russia if the country was found guilty of manipulating doping-related data.

(pk/gs)

Source: PAP