Google celebrates winter games as the opening ceremony has started.

Winter Olympics is already underway,&nbsp;PyeongChang 2018 will host the XXIII Olympic Winter Games. It is a major international multi-sport event which is scheduled to take place from February 9 to 25.

The 23rd Winter Olympics will feature 102 events in 15 sports and athletes from all over the world.

The organisers of the upcoming Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic games had already warned spectators that they will face sub-zero temperatures during the tournament.

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Google celebrates the 23rd Winter Olympics. (Others)
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This year&#39;s Winter Olympic games may set a new record for being the coldest since the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the roofless Olympic Stadium, a pentagonal arena that can accommodate around 40,000 people.

Freezing weather at the Winter Olympics may force some athletes and staff to pull out of Friday&#39;s opening ceremony as Pyeongchang shivers in temperatures plunging to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

&nbsp;

The 23rd Winter Olympics will feature 102 events in 15 sports and athletes from all over the world

Google celebrates winter games as the opening ceremony has started. Winter Olympics is already underway, PyeongChang 2018 will host the XXIII Olympic Winter Games. It is a major international multi-sport event which is scheduled to take place from February 9 to 25. The 23rd Winter Olympics will feature 102 events in 15 sports and athletes from all over the world. The organisers of the upcoming Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic games had already warned spectators that they will face sub-zero temperatures during the tournament. Google celebrates the 23rd Winter Olympics. (Others) × This year's Winter Olympic games may set a new record for being the coldest since the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the roofless Olympic Stadium, a pentagonal arena that can accommodate around 40,000 people. Freezing weather at the Winter Olympics may force some athletes and staff to pull out of Friday's opening ceremony as Pyeongchang shivers in temperatures plunging to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Google celebrates 23rd Winter Olympics

North Korean athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics refused to accept smartphones offered on condition they returned them after the Games, news reports said, as the IOC backed down over a similar demand for Iranians.

The IOC is providing Galaxy Note 8 devices from Olympic sponsor Samsung to all athletes and officials at the Games, loaded with essential logistical and competition information.

Organisers initially said the North Koreans and Iranians would be denied the devices due to UN sanctions on their countries.

Then the IOC said they would be provided for the Games, but the two countries&#39; representatives would be asked to return them afterwards rather than keep them.

It was not clear how the IOC would ensure compliance with the request.

But Yonhap news agency said the North Koreans at the Games had refused the phones. No reason was given, but Internet access is strictly limited in the North.

Pyongyang has sent 22 athletes to the Olympics, along with several officials.

An IOC spokesman was unable to confirm the reports when contacted by AFP.

The ban on Iranians keeping the phones had provoked a furious reaction in Teheran, with authorities blaming the manufacturer for the situation.

Iran&#39;s foreign ministry summoned South Korea&#39;s ambassador Kim Seung-ho to lodge a &quot;strong protest&quot; over what it called Samsung&#39;s &quot;dishonest conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the Olympic Games&quot;.

The ambassador was warned that &quot;if Samsung does not make its excuses... this affair will have strong repercussions on commercial relations between the Samsung Group and the Islamic Republic of Iran&quot;.

Samsung, the world&#39;s biggest smartphone and memory chip manufacturer, is a crucial part of South Korea&#39;s economy, with the group&#39;s turnover equivalent to a fifth of the national GDP.

The IOC later backed down.

&quot;Regarding Iran, we can confirm that all participants will be able to keep the phones,&quot; it said in a statement late Thursday.

&quot;Regarding North Korea, all participants are requested not to take the phones back to their home country but to only use them during their stay in Pyeongchang,&quot; it added.

The Galaxy Note 8 retails for around 1,000,000 South Korean won ($920) and so could fall foul of UN measures banning supplies of luxury goods to the North.

A Samsung spokeswoman stressed the electronics giant had nothing to do with the distribution of the handsets and all decisions were by the IOC.

The IOC is providing Galaxy Note 8 devices from Olympic sponsor Samsung to all athletes and officials at the Games, loaded with essential logistical and competition information

North Korean athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics refused to accept smartphones offered on condition they returned them after the Games, news reports said, as the IOC backed down over a similar demand for Iranians. The IOC is providing Galaxy Note 8 devices from Olympic sponsor Samsung to all athletes and officials at the Games, loaded with essential logistical and competition information. Organisers initially said the North Koreans and Iranians would be denied the devices due to UN sanctions on their countries. Then the IOC said they would be provided for the Games, but the two countries' representatives would be asked to return them afterwards rather than keep them. It was not clear how the IOC would ensure compliance with the request. But Yonhap news agency said the North Koreans at the Games had refused the phones. No reason was given, but Internet access is strictly limited in the North. Pyongyang has sent 22 athletes to the Olympics, along with several officials. An IOC spokesman was unable to confirm the reports when contacted by AFP. The ban on Iranians keeping the phones had provoked a furious reaction in Teheran, with authorities blaming the manufacturer for the situation. Iran's foreign ministry summoned South Korea's ambassador Kim Seung-ho to lodge a "strong protest" over what it called Samsung's "dishonest conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the Olympic Games". The ambassador was warned that "if Samsung does not make its excuses... this affair will have strong repercussions on commercial relations between the Samsung Group and the Islamic Republic of Iran". Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone and memory chip manufacturer, is a crucial part of South Korea's economy, with the group's turnover equivalent to a fifth of the national GDP. The IOC later backed down. "Regarding Iran, we can confirm that all participants will be able to keep the phones," it said in a statement late Thursday. "Regarding North Korea, all participants are requested not to take the phones back to their home country but to only use them during their stay in Pyeongchang," it added. The Galaxy Note 8 retails for around 1,000,000 South Korean won ($920) and so could fall foul of UN measures banning supplies of luxury goods to the North. A Samsung spokeswoman stressed the electronics giant had nothing to do with the distribution of the handsets and all decisions were by the IOC.

North Koreans decline Olympic phones: reports

In December, the IOC had suspended Russia over a state-sponsored doping conspiracy culminating in its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The CAS drew criticism last week when it lifted life Olympic bans imposed on 28 Russians. But when 15 of them applied to take part in Pyeongchang, the IOC refused to give them invitations.

Now, forty-seven Russian athletes and staff implicated in doping have lost a last-minute court bid to take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

&quot;The applications filed by Russian athletes and coaches have been dismissed,&quot; CAS said in a statement, issued just hours before the Games&#39; opening ceremony.

Russia&#39;s team has been suspended from the Olympics over a systemic doping scandal, but the International Olympic Committee has allowed a group of Russians considered as clean athletes to take part.

Earlier, a&nbsp;group of 13 Russians lost a last-ditch bid to beat their country&#39;s doping ban.

&nbsp;

47 Russian athletes and staff implicated in doping have lost a last-minute court bid to take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday

In December, the IOC had suspended Russia over a state-sponsored doping conspiracy culminating in its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The CAS drew criticism last week when it lifted life Olympic bans imposed on 28 Russians. But when 15 of them applied to take part in Pyeongchang, the IOC refused to give them invitations. Now, forty-seven Russian athletes and staff implicated in doping have lost a last-minute court bid to take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday. "The applications filed by Russian athletes and coaches have been dismissed," CAS said in a statement, issued just hours before the Games' opening ceremony. Russia's team has been suspended from the Olympics over a systemic doping scandal, but the International Olympic Committee has allowed a group of Russians considered as clean athletes to take part. Earlier, a group of 13 Russians lost a last-ditch bid to beat their country's doping ban.

47 Russians lose late court bid to compete at Olympics

The Court of Arbitration for&nbsp;Sport&nbsp;on Thursday lifted life bans on 28 of the 43 Russians accused of doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

In a decision that could allow some of them to compete in this month&#39;s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang,&nbsp;sport&#39;s top court ruled there was &quot;insufficient&quot; evidence that the athletes had benefited from a system of state-sponsored doping at the last Winter Games, hosted by Russia.

CAS said in its judgement: &quot;In 28 cases, the evidence collected was found to be insufficient to establish that an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was committed by the athletes concerned.&quot;

The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from competing at Pyeongchang as a team over the doping scandal, although 169 Russian competitors have been cleared to take part as neutrals.

Putin&#39;s spokesman says &#39;very glad&#39; at the lifting of the ban on 28 Russian athletes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/putin-orders-alternative-olympic-games-for-banned-athletes-31401">Putin orders alternative Olympic Games for banned athletes</a>

The decision given by Court of Arbitration for Sport could allow some of the athletes to compete in this month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday lifted life bans on 28 of the 43 Russians accused of doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. In a decision that could allow some of them to compete in this month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, sport's top court ruled there was "insufficient" evidence that the athletes had benefited from a system of state-sponsored doping at the last Winter Games, hosted by Russia. CAS said in its judgement: "In 28 cases, the evidence collected was found to be insufficient to establish that an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was committed by the athletes concerned." The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from competing at Pyeongchang as a team over the doping scandal, although 169 Russian competitors have been cleared to take part as neutrals. Putin's spokesman says 'very glad' at the lifting of the ban on 28 Russian athletes. Also read: Putin orders alternative Olympic Games for banned athletes

CAS clears 28 Russians athletes of doping, Putin 'very glad'

&nbsp;Russia&rsquo;s cross country gold medalist Alexander Legkov and compatriot Evgeniy Belov were banned from the Olympics for life on Wednesday over doping at the Sochi 2014 winter Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.

The two athletes were the first Russians to be sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations following an IOC investigation into allegations of widespread doping among Russians and sample tampering by lab and security officials to give them the edge.

Legkov won gold in the 50km and a silver medal in the 4x10km relay event. The IOC said all of Russia&rsquo;s 4x10km team would be disqualified given Legkov&rsquo;s violation.

Belov did not medal at the Sochi Games.

The IOC did not specify what kind of anti-doping rule violation the skiers had committed but said both of them were &ldquo;ineligible to be accredited in any capacity for all editions of the Games... subsequent to the Sochi Olympic winter Games.&rdquo;

<figure tabindex="-1">
It said more decisions would follow in the coming days as it completes its investigations into Russian competitors.

The IOC is re-testing all Russian athletes&rsquo; samples from the 2014 Games following revelations by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow&rsquo;s discredited anti-doping laboratory, of a scheme to cover up home competitors&rsquo; positive samples.

The Sochi scandal is part of a wider doping affair in Russia that has led to the suspension of the country&rsquo;s anti-doping agency and an international ban for track and field athletes.

The IOC has said it will decide during its executive board meeting on December&nbsp;5-7 about the participation of Russian competitors at the Pyeongchang winter Olympics in February.

Russian track and field athletes were banned from the Rio de Janeiro summer Games following the doping affair.
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The two athletes were the first Russians to be sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations following an IOC investigation into allegations of widespread doping among Russians and sample tampering by lab and security officials to give them the edge.

Russia’s cross country gold medalist Alexander Legkov and compatriot Evgeniy Belov were banned from the Olympics for life on Wednesday over doping at the Sochi 2014 winter Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said. The two athletes were the first Russians to be sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations following an IOC investigation into allegations of widespread doping among Russians and sample tampering by lab and security officials to give them the edge. Legkov won gold in the 50km and a silver medal in the 4x10km relay event. The IOC said all of Russia’s 4x10km team would be disqualified given Legkov’s violation. Belov did not medal at the Sochi Games. The IOC did not specify what kind of anti-doping rule violation the skiers had committed but said both of them were “ineligible to be accredited in any capacity for all editions of the Games... subsequent to the Sochi Olympic winter Games.” It said more decisions would follow in the coming days as it completes its investigations into Russian competitors. The IOC is re-testing all Russian athletes’ samples from the 2014 Games following revelations by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s discredited anti-doping laboratory, of a scheme to cover up home competitors’ positive samples. The Sochi scandal is part of a wider doping affair in Russia that has led to the suspension of the country’s anti-doping agency and an international ban for track and field athletes. The IOC has said it will decide during its executive board meeting on December 5-7 about the participation of Russian competitors at the Pyeongchang winter Olympics in February. Russian track and field athletes were banned from the Rio de Janeiro summer Games following the doping affair.

2 Russian skiers get life bans over Sochi Games doping

Japan will be hosting&nbsp;the 2017 Asian Winter Games (AWG), in the cities of Sapporo and Obihiro, starting Sunday. The Winter Games will run through February 26.&nbsp;

AWG is an international multi-sport event run by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to develop winter sports within its area of coverage. According to the official website, the OCA has 45 member countries.This year, the 8th Asian Winter Games is expected to attract more than 2,000 athletes from 31 countries, competing in five sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.

With the Winter Games, just a year away from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchan,&nbsp;it is expected to offer a great stage for athletes to rehearse. Pyeongchang will stage Asia&#39;s first Winter Games outside Japan next year. This will kick-start a cycle of events in Asia with Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Games and Beijing the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Keeping with the sportsman spirit, the Japanese government is allowing the North Korean athletes&nbsp;to enter the country to take part in the Games despite Japan&#39;s entry ban on North Korean citizens, as reported in AP.&nbsp;Tokyo will treat the athletes as an exception to its punitive measure taken as part of its sanctions in response to Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear tests and rocket launches.&nbsp;

The Sapporo Games will also feature athletes from Australia and New Zealand.&nbsp;At the request of the Australian Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Sapporo 2017 organizing committee agreed to allow athletes from the two countries to take part as &#39;guest athletes&#39; in individual sports only, according to AP. However, they won&#39;t be eligible to compete for medals.

The 8th Sapporo Asian Winter Games Organising Committee (SAWGOC) looks to enhance tourism, economic stimulation and greater interest in winter sports in the region.&nbsp;

At present, Republic of Korea leads the medal tally with 14 medals, Japan and China follow with 12 and 9 medals respectively.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Some 2000 athletes from 31 countries will be competing in five sports across 64 events in Japan

Japan will be hosting the 2017 Asian Winter Games (AWG), in the cities of Sapporo and Obihiro, starting Sunday. The Winter Games will run through February 26. AWG is an international multi-sport event run by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to develop winter sports within its area of coverage. According to the official website, the OCA has 45 member countries.This year, the 8th Asian Winter Games is expected to attract more than 2,000 athletes from 31 countries, competing in five sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events. With the Winter Games, just a year away from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchan, it is expected to offer a great stage for athletes to rehearse. Pyeongchang will stage Asia's first Winter Games outside Japan next year. This will kick-start a cycle of events in Asia with Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Games and Beijing the 2022 Winter Olympics. Keeping with the sportsman spirit, the Japanese government is allowing the North Korean athletes to enter the country to take part in the Games despite Japan's entry ban on North Korean citizens, as reported in AP. Tokyo will treat the athletes as an exception to its punitive measure taken as part of its sanctions in response to Pyongyang's nuclear tests and rocket launches. The Sapporo Games will also feature athletes from Australia and New Zealand. At the request of the Australian Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Sapporo 2017 organizing committee agreed to allow athletes from the two countries to take part as 'guest athletes' in individual sports only, according to AP. However, they won't be eligible to compete for medals. The 8th Sapporo Asian Winter Games Organising Committee (SAWGOC) looks to enhance tourism, economic stimulation and greater interest in winter sports in the region. At present, Republic of Korea leads the medal tally with 14 medals, Japan and China follow with 12 and 9 medals respectively. (WION)

Japan to host Asian Winter Games

The International Olympic Committee&#39;s decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to &quot;lesser protection for clean athletes,&quot; the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. 
 
The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. 
 
The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month&#39;s Rio games due to the country&#39;s doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes&#39; participation with their sports federations. 
 
&quot;WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA&rsquo;s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,&rdquo; WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. 
 
&ldquo;The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code,&quot; Reedie added. 
 
&#39;Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?&#39; 
 
WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. 
 
&quot;The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,&rdquo; WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. 
 
He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. 
 
&quot;Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,&rdquo; Niggli said. &ldquo;WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future.&quot; 
 
Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. 
 
The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. 
 
Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. 
 
It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and &quot;identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

The IOC resisted calls for a blanket ban on Sunday on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record

The International Olympic Committee's decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to "lesser protection for clean athletes," the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes' participation with their sports federations. "WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA’s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,” WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. “The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code," Reedie added. 'Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?' WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. "The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. "Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,” Niggli said. “WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future." Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and "identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests". (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: WADA 'disappointed' by IOC decision on Russia

The official opening of the Olympic Village in Rio turned into a fiasco on Sunday with the discovery of blocked toilets and leaky pipes, prompting Australia to call the facility &quot;not safe or ready&quot;. 
 
Even Brazilian athletes who were meant to have started taking up lodgings in the brand-new complex from Sunday were being kept in hotels instead.&nbsp;Britain&#39;s delegation said it, too, had encountered some &quot;maintenance difficulties&quot;, but added it was staying in the Village as planned. 
 
Rio&#39;s Olympic organisers said such teething problems plagued all Olympic Games. They promised that &quot;adjustments&quot; were being made to resolve the problems. 
 
The Olympic Games, the first to be held in South America, are to open on August 5, less than two weeks away.&nbsp;The lack of preparedness in the Olympic Village was another embarrassing blow for host Brazil, which is struggling to show all will be well with the Olympiad. 
 
It is already facing low ticket sales, general public apathy amid a deep recession, fears over the Zika virus, and a spike in street crime as police complain of lack of resources. 
 
Australia&#39;s delegation highlighted the poor state of the Village, 31-building complex located in the Barra da Tijuca district in the west of Rio de Janeiro designed to house more than 18,000 athletes and coaching staff over the coming weeks. 
 
&quot;Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed, and dirty floors in need of a massive clean,&quot; the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. 
 
During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, &quot;water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was &#39;shorting&#39; in the electrical wiring&quot;. 
 
Chiller later told reporters: &quot;This is my fifth Olympics Games, I have never experienced a Village in this lack of state of readiness at this point in time.&quot;&nbsp;She added that, &quot;in our mind, our building is not habitable&quot;, and the Australian team would stay in nearby hotels. 
 
But she said a team of plumbers was already at work to fix the problems, and &quot;I am reasonably confident that we will be able to enter the Village on Wednesday&quot;.&nbsp;The rest of the Village, she said, &quot;is one of the best&quot; she had seen.&nbsp;A spokesman for the British delegation confirmed similar problems but noted &quot;this is not uncommon with new-build structures of this type&quot;. 
 
Rio&#39;s mayor, Eduardo Paes, tried to laugh off the matter, according to Brazilian media reports.&nbsp;&quot;We are going to make the Australians feel at home here. I&#39;m almost putting a kangaroo out front to jump for them,&quot; he said.&nbsp;He also boasted that the Village was &quot;more beautiful and better&quot; than the one in Sydney in the 2000 Olympics. 
 
New Zealand Olympic committee chef de mission Rob Waddell said the village was not completely ready when he arrived last week, but the issues had been resolved, and Kiwi athletes were beginning to move into their allotted accommodation. 
 
&quot;We were disappointed the village wasn&#39;t as ready as it might have been when we arrived, and it hasn&#39;t been easy. Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
 
Russia to participate 
 
As dire as the Australian description of the Village sounded, one of the 207 delegations was relieved on Sunday to find out its athletes would be able to make it to Rio at all. 
 
Russia, whose participation had been uncertain following revelations of state-run doping, hailed a decision by the International Olympic Committee to not impose a blanket ban on all its sportsmen and women.&nbsp;The IOC ordered individual sports federations to decide whether Russian competitors should take part in the Rio Games. 
 
 
Boosted security 
 
Security, naturally, will be high around the complex, and around Rio generally.&nbsp;The arrest on Thursday of 10 Brazilians suspected of planning attacks during the Olympics revived memories of the Munich Games in 1972, when an armed Palestinian group took Israeli athletes hostage and killed 11 of them. 
 
Brazilian justice minister Alexandre de Moraes said the suspects were &quot;absolutely amateur&quot;, &quot;disorganised&quot; and had no specific targets. 
 
But recent attacks, such as the one on July 14 in Nice, France that killed 84 people, have prompted officials to bolster their security plans, notably by reinforcing checks and screenings. 
 
From Sunday, some 50,000 police and soldiers are being deployed in Rio to protect sports venues, tourist spots and key transport areas. 
 
(AFP)

Australians leave 'not safe or ready' Rio Village, while Russian athletes are just grateful the IOC let them in

The official opening of the Olympic Village in Rio turned into a fiasco on Sunday with the discovery of blocked toilets and leaky pipes, prompting Australia to call the facility "not safe or ready". Even Brazilian athletes who were meant to have started taking up lodgings in the brand-new complex from Sunday were being kept in hotels instead. Britain's delegation said it, too, had encountered some "maintenance difficulties", but added it was staying in the Village as planned. Rio's Olympic organisers said such teething problems plagued all Olympic Games. They promised that "adjustments" were being made to resolve the problems. The Olympic Games, the first to be held in South America, are to open on August 5, less than two weeks away. The lack of preparedness in the Olympic Village was another embarrassing blow for host Brazil, which is struggling to show all will be well with the Olympiad. It is already facing low ticket sales, general public apathy amid a deep recession, fears over the Zika virus, and a spike in street crime as police complain of lack of resources. Australia's delegation highlighted the poor state of the Village, 31-building complex located in the Barra da Tijuca district in the west of Rio de Janeiro designed to house more than 18,000 athletes and coaching staff over the coming weeks. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed, and dirty floors in need of a massive clean," the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, "water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was 'shorting' in the electrical wiring". Chiller later told reporters: "This is my fifth Olympics Games, I have never experienced a Village in this lack of state of readiness at this point in time." She added that, "in our mind, our building is not habitable", and the Australian team would stay in nearby hotels. But she said a team of plumbers was already at work to fix the problems, and "I am reasonably confident that we will be able to enter the Village on Wednesday". The rest of the Village, she said, "is one of the best" she had seen. A spokesman for the British delegation confirmed similar problems but noted "this is not uncommon with new-build structures of this type". Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, tried to laugh off the matter, according to Brazilian media reports. "We are going to make the Australians feel at home here. I'm almost putting a kangaroo out front to jump for them," he said. He also boasted that the Village was "more beautiful and better" than the one in Sydney in the 2000 Olympics. New Zealand Olympic committee chef de mission Rob Waddell said the village was not completely ready when he arrived last week, but the issues had been resolved, and Kiwi athletes were beginning to move into their allotted accommodation. "We were disappointed the village wasn't as ready as it might have been when we arrived, and it hasn't been easy. Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done," he said in a statement. Russia to participate As dire as the Australian description of the Village sounded, one of the 207 delegations was relieved on Sunday to find out its athletes would be able to make it to Rio at all. Russia, whose participation had been uncertain following revelations of state-run doping, hailed a decision by the International Olympic Committee to not impose a blanket ban on all its sportsmen and women. The IOC ordered individual sports federations to decide whether Russian competitors should take part in the Rio Games. Boosted security Security, naturally, will be high around the complex, and around Rio generally. The arrest on Thursday of 10 Brazilians suspected of planning attacks during the Olympics revived memories of the Munich Games in 1972, when an armed Palestinian group took Israeli athletes hostage and killed 11 of them. Brazilian justice minister Alexandre de Moraes said the suspects were "absolutely amateur", "disorganised" and had no specific targets. But recent attacks, such as the one on July 14 in Nice, France that killed 84 people, have prompted officials to bolster their security plans, notably by reinforcing checks and screenings. From Sunday, some 50,000 police and soldiers are being deployed in Rio to protect sports venues, tourist spots and key transport areas. (AFP)

Rio Olympic Village opening characterised by clogged toilets

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. 
 
It was the first world competition for athletes with Down&#39;s Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. 
 
Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the &#39;Trisome Games&#39;, scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. 
 
Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. 
 
The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down&#39;s Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. 
 
&quot;The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light,&quot; Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. 
 
The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. 
 
&quot;The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down&#39;s Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes.&quot; 
 
With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down&#39;s Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. 
 
The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. 
 
Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. 
 
&quot;The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is &#39;Power of Dreams&#39;. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. It was the first world competition for athletes with Down's Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the 'Trisome Games', scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. "The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light," Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. "The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down's Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment," he said. "It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes." With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down's Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. "The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is 'Power of Dreams'. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s," he said. (AFP)

Italy hosts first Down's Syndrome Olympics

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. 
 
&quot;The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016,&quot; said an IOC statement. 
 
An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. 
Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. 
 
The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study &quot;legal options&quot; on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. 
 
The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. 
 
The IOC &quot;will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice&quot;, said a statement. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

IOC will not grant any accreditation to any Russian sport ministry official or any person implicated in the WADA report

The International Olympic Committee today barred Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Rio Games after the revelation of a state-run doping system. "The IOC will not grant any accreditation to any official of the Russian Ministry of sport or any person implicated in the (independent) report for the Games of the Olympiad Rio 2016," said an IOC statement. An independent inquiry commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said the Russian sports ministry organised a state-dictated failsafe system of cheating by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and other major events hosted by Russia. Deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh is among officials to have been suspended by the Kremlin since the report was released on Monday. The International Olympic Committee today also that said it will study "legal options" on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system. The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks after a WADA commissioned report said there had been state-sanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. The IOC "will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice", said a statement. "In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS decision on July 21 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter." (AFP)

IOC bars Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko from Rio Olympics

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women&#39;s world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. 
 
They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. 
 
The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men&#39;s championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. 
 
&quot;It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,&quot; world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. 
 
&quot;After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.&quot; 
 
The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
Halep, who last month told Reuters she was &quot;very worried&quot; about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. 
 
&quot;I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,&quot; Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. 
 
&quot;After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can&rsquo;t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.&nbsp;I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision.&nbsp;I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible.&quot; 
 
Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. 
 
Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. 
 
Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. 
 
&quot;This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games,&quot; said Raonic. 
 
&quot;I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Milos Raonic and Simona Halep joined a growing list of athletes to pull out of Rio Games due to health concerns

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women's world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month's Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men's championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. "After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus." The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. Halep, who last month told Reuters she was "very worried" about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. "I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus," Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. "After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over. I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision. I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible." Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. "This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games," said Raonic. "I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer." (Reuters)

Raonic and Halep withdraw from Rio Olympics over Zika

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) list of nations deemed &#39;non-compliant&#39; in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. 
 
Kenya&#39;s reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation&#39;s participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. 
 
WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA&#39;s own code. The government later amended the bill. 
 
&quot;Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code,&quot; WADA said in a statement. 
 
It added that it had &quot;removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant&quot;. 
 
Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. 
 
(Reuters)

Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in last four years. It's Rio Olympics participation was also in jeopardy

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of nations deemed 'non-compliant' in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation's participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA's own code. The government later amended the bill. "Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code," WADA said in a statement. It added that it had "removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant". Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: WADA removes Kenya from list of 'non-compliant' nations

A blanket ban on Russia at the Rio de Janeiro Games would have had devastating consequences, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday. 
 
The IOC opted not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics after revelations of a wide state-backed doping programme across many sports. Instead, it chose a set of criteria for athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events, that so far has allowed more than 250 out of the original 387 Russian athletes to be cleared for Rio. 
 
Bach, speaking at the IOC session in the Brazilian city, said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as &quot;collateral damage&quot; would have been wrong. &quot;This blanket ban of the Russian Olympic Committee has been called by some the &#39;nuclear option&#39; and the innocent athletes would have to be considered as collateral damage,&quot; Bach said. 
 
&quot;Leaving aside that such a comparison is completely out of any proportion when it comes to the rules of sport. Let us just for a moment consider the consequences of a &#39;nuclear option&#39;. The result is death and devastation.&nbsp;The cynical &#39;collateral damage approach&#39; is not what the Olympic Movement stands for.&quot; 
 
Several anti-doping bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as those from the United States, Canada and Germany, among others, had called on the IOC to implement a blanket ban on all Russian athletes. They expressed disappointment following the IOC&#39;s decision to allow some Russians to compete and accused the Games&#39; ruling body of lacking the leadership and courage to punish Russia. 
 
&quot;What is not acceptable is the insinuation of some proponents of the blanket ban that those who do not share their opinions are not fighting against doping,&quot; Bach said. &quot;On behalf of all these supporters, I reject this insinuation in the strongest terms.&nbsp;We may disagree how we get there but we all work toward the same goal of protecting clean athletes. Despite these discrepancies, we agree we must not allow such a situation to happen again,&quot; he added. Bach said the doping system needed completely restructuring. 
 
&quot;Engagement and not isolation is the key to build a more robust anti-doping system,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Thomas Bach said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as 'collateral damage' would have been wrong

A blanket ban on Russia at the Rio de Janeiro Games would have had devastating consequences, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday. The IOC opted not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics after revelations of a wide state-backed doping programme across many sports. Instead, it chose a set of criteria for athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events, that so far has allowed more than 250 out of the original 387 Russian athletes to be cleared for Rio. Bach, speaking at the IOC session in the Brazilian city, said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as "collateral damage" would have been wrong. "This blanket ban of the Russian Olympic Committee has been called by some the 'nuclear option' and the innocent athletes would have to be considered as collateral damage," Bach said. "Leaving aside that such a comparison is completely out of any proportion when it comes to the rules of sport. Let us just for a moment consider the consequences of a 'nuclear option'. The result is death and devastation. The cynical 'collateral damage approach' is not what the Olympic Movement stands for." Several anti-doping bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as those from the United States, Canada and Germany, among others, had called on the IOC to implement a blanket ban on all Russian athletes. They expressed disappointment following the IOC's decision to allow some Russians to compete and accused the Games' ruling body of lacking the leadership and courage to punish Russia. "What is not acceptable is the insinuation of some proponents of the blanket ban that those who do not share their opinions are not fighting against doping," Bach said. "On behalf of all these supporters, I reject this insinuation in the strongest terms. We may disagree how we get there but we all work toward the same goal of protecting clean athletes. Despite these discrepancies, we agree we must not allow such a situation to happen again," he added. Bach said the doping system needed completely restructuring. "Engagement and not isolation is the key to build a more robust anti-doping system," he said. (Reuters)

IOC president says blanket Rio ban on Russia would have been disastrous

&nbsp;Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in men&#39;s tennis history, have pulled out of the defence of their title at the Rio Games saying their family&#39;s health is their top priority. 
 
&quot;After countless hours of deliberation Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics,&quot; the pair wrote on their Facebook page on Saturday.&nbsp;&quot;Though we&#39;d love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family&#39;s health is now our top priority.&quot; 
 
Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics over concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to birth defects in newborn babies and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
The Bryan brothers are both married and Bob has three children. The pair won Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games and own 112 titles together, including 16 grand slams. 
 
&quot;Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date, and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career,&quot; the brothers added.&nbsp;&quot;The Olympics means so much to us for so many reasons and the memories we have wearing the Stars and Stripes will burn brightly forever.&nbsp;Thank you to the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for the nomination and to our fans for their unwavering support.&quot; 
 
Amiable off court, a well-oiled machine on it, the Bryans have carried men&#39;s doubles for more than a decade. 
 
Ten times they have ended a year as top dogs and have held the number one ranking together for close to 450 weeks in total. 
 
They were looking forward to representing their country at a fourth Olympics, having also won bronze in Beijing in 2008, and had planned to play with gold-painted rackets. 
 
Bob described their London triumph as the pair&#39;s &quot;greatest moment&quot;, while Mike said missing out in Athens on their Olympic debut in 2004, when they were expected to medal, was a low. 
 
In an interview with Reuters at this year&#39;s Wimbledon championships Bob also stressed the importance of the Games. 
 
&quot;We know Rio will be our last Olympics, I can safely say that. It&#39;s been a huge priority. When we sat down to plan the year in December we said peaking for Rio was the goal. Winning in Rio would mean everything,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Tennis stars are the latest to withdraw from Olympics over fear of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, linked to birth defects in newborn babies

Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in men's tennis history, have pulled out of the defence of their title at the Rio Games saying their family's health is their top priority. "After countless hours of deliberation Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics," the pair wrote on their Facebook page on Saturday. "Though we'd love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority." Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics over concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to birth defects in newborn babies and possible neurological problems in adults. The Bryan brothers are both married and Bob has three children. The pair won Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games and own 112 titles together, including 16 grand slams. "Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date, and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career," the brothers added. "The Olympics means so much to us for so many reasons and the memories we have wearing the Stars and Stripes will burn brightly forever. Thank you to the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for the nomination and to our fans for their unwavering support." Amiable off court, a well-oiled machine on it, the Bryans have carried men's doubles for more than a decade. Ten times they have ended a year as top dogs and have held the number one ranking together for close to 450 weeks in total. They were looking forward to representing their country at a fourth Olympics, having also won bronze in Beijing in 2008, and had planned to play with gold-painted rackets. Bob described their London triumph as the pair's "greatest moment", while Mike said missing out in Athens on their Olympic debut in 2004, when they were expected to medal, was a low. In an interview with Reuters at this year's Wimbledon championships Bob also stressed the importance of the Games. "We know Rio will be our last Olympics, I can safely say that. It's been a huge priority. When we sat down to plan the year in December we said peaking for Rio was the goal. Winning in Rio would mean everything," he said. (Reuters)

Bryan brothers pull out of Rio Games, citing health concerns

Russia&#39;s Olympic Games weightlifting team was banned from the Rio Games on Friday in the latest doping-related blow to the sporting powerhouse. 
 
&quot;The integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians, therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport,&quot; said a statement by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). 
 
There are now 117 Russian competitors banned from the Games - including 67 track and field athletes - from the 387 initially nominated by the Russian Olympic Committee. 
 
The eight weightlifters originally selected were Oleg Chen, Adam Maligov, Ruslan Albegov, David Bedzhanyan and Artem Okulov in the men`s competition and Tatiana Kashirina, Tima Turieva and Anastasia Romanova in the women&#39;s. 
 
Okulov is a world champion while at the London Games in 2012, Albegov claimed a bronze medal and Kashirina took home a silver. 
Kashirina and Romanova both had their nominations withdrawn by the Russian Olympic Committee due to prior anti-doping rule violations, added the IWF statement. 
 
Four others were listed in the bombshell McLaren report which exposed widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia. 
 
In the aftermath of that report, the International Olympic Committee resisted huge pressure to impose a blanket ban on Russia from the Olympics which get underway on August 5. 
 
Instead, they asked individual federations to make the call on who should be cleared for the Games. 
 
&quot;Under these exceptional circumstances, Russian athletes in any of the 28 Olympic summer sports have to assume the consequences of what amounts to a collective responsibility in order to protect the credibility of the Olympic competitions, and the `presumption of innocence` cannot be applied to them,&quot; added the IWF. 
 
&quot;On the other hand, according to the rules of natural justice, individual justice, to which every human being is entitled, has to be applied. This means that each affected athlete must be given the opportunity to rebut the applicability of collective responsibility in his or her individual case.&quot; 
 
The IWF in highlighting &quot;the extremely shocking and disappointing statistics regarding the Russian weightlifters&quot; added that seven dope tests being re-examined from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics have returned positive results. 
 
The McLaren report found that the Moscow laboratory at the centre of Russia&#39;s state-sponsored doping programme hid 117 positive weightlifting tests over a four-year period -- a figure second only to track and field. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The International Weightlifting Federation said some of the athletes had been named in a report which exposed state-backed doping in Russia

Russia's Olympic Games weightlifting team was banned from the Rio Games on Friday in the latest doping-related blow to the sporting powerhouse. "The integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians, therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport," said a statement by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). There are now 117 Russian competitors banned from the Games - including 67 track and field athletes - from the 387 initially nominated by the Russian Olympic Committee. The eight weightlifters originally selected were Oleg Chen, Adam Maligov, Ruslan Albegov, David Bedzhanyan and Artem Okulov in the men`s competition and Tatiana Kashirina, Tima Turieva and Anastasia Romanova in the women's. Okulov is a world champion while at the London Games in 2012, Albegov claimed a bronze medal and Kashirina took home a silver. Kashirina and Romanova both had their nominations withdrawn by the Russian Olympic Committee due to prior anti-doping rule violations, added the IWF statement. Four others were listed in the bombshell McLaren report which exposed widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia. In the aftermath of that report, the International Olympic Committee resisted huge pressure to impose a blanket ban on Russia from the Olympics which get underway on August 5. Instead, they asked individual federations to make the call on who should be cleared for the Games. "Under these exceptional circumstances, Russian athletes in any of the 28 Olympic summer sports have to assume the consequences of what amounts to a collective responsibility in order to protect the credibility of the Olympic competitions, and the `presumption of innocence` cannot be applied to them," added the IWF. "On the other hand, according to the rules of natural justice, individual justice, to which every human being is entitled, has to be applied. This means that each affected athlete must be given the opportunity to rebut the applicability of collective responsibility in his or her individual case." The IWF in highlighting "the extremely shocking and disappointing statistics regarding the Russian weightlifters" added that seven dope tests being re-examined from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics have returned positive results. The McLaren report found that the Moscow laboratory at the centre of Russia's state-sponsored doping programme hid 117 positive weightlifting tests over a four-year period -- a figure second only to track and field. (AFP)

Russian weightlifting team barred from Rio Games

Canoeing&#39;s governing body has banned five Russians, including a gold medallist and a five-times world champion, from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics after an explosive independent report revealed state-run doping across Russian sport. 
 
&quot;We are clear that if you step out of line you won`t make the start line,&quot; International Canoe Federation secretary general Simon Toulson said, as canoeing became the latest sport to bar Russians from the Games in the fall-out over the roiling doping controversy. 
 
Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday when the International Olympic Committee decided not to issue a blanket ban on all Russian competitors, instead leaving it up to each sport to decide what to do. 
 
&quot;The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has taken swift action to remove five Russian canoe sprint athletes from the Rio Olympic Games following the release of additional information naming those implicated by the McLaren report,&quot; the ICF said. 
 
&quot;In each case the ICF will impose an immediate suspension pending further investigation making the offending athletes ineligible to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
The five were named as Elena Aniushina, Natalia Podolskaya, Alexander Dyachenko, Andrey Kraitor and Alexey Korovashkov. 
 
Korovashkov, a five-times world champion, won a bronze medal in London four years ago and Dyachenko won gold in a doubles kayak sprint. 
 
The Olympics begin on August 5. 
 
(AFP)

Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday after IOC decided not to issue blanket ban

Canoeing's governing body has banned five Russians, including a gold medallist and a five-times world champion, from next month's Rio Olympics after an explosive independent report revealed state-run doping across Russian sport. "We are clear that if you step out of line you won`t make the start line," International Canoe Federation secretary general Simon Toulson said, as canoeing became the latest sport to bar Russians from the Games in the fall-out over the roiling doping controversy. Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday when the International Olympic Committee decided not to issue a blanket ban on all Russian competitors, instead leaving it up to each sport to decide what to do. "The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has taken swift action to remove five Russian canoe sprint athletes from the Rio Olympic Games following the release of additional information naming those implicated by the McLaren report," the ICF said. "In each case the ICF will impose an immediate suspension pending further investigation making the offending athletes ineligible to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." The five were named as Elena Aniushina, Natalia Podolskaya, Alexander Dyachenko, Andrey Kraitor and Alexey Korovashkov. Korovashkov, a five-times world champion, won a bronze medal in London four years ago and Dyachenko won gold in a doubles kayak sprint. The Olympics begin on August 5. (AFP)

Five Russian canoers, including five-times world champion Korovashkov, banned from Rio

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. 
 
&quot;All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 
 
The International Olympic Committee&#39;s executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia&#39;s athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. 
 
The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. 
 
Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. 
 
Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. 
 
The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. 
 
Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a &quot;funeral for athletics.&quot; 
 
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. 
 
Cold War 
 
The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a &quot;state-dictated failsafe system&quot; of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. 
 
But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. 
 
&quot;We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War,&quot; said IJF president Marius Vizer. 
 
Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision,&quot; wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. 
 
&quot;I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail.&quot; 
 
The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country&#39;s corrupt system could be cleared. 
 
The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. 
 
The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. 
 
The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. 
 
&quot;They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn&#39;t react at all to these accusations,&quot; wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. &quot;That&#39;s why they&#39;re banning us.&quot; 
 
&quot;Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors,&quot; a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. 
 
&quot;It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. "All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia's athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a "funeral for athletics." Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. Cold War The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a "state-dictated failsafe system" of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. "We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War," said IJF president Marius Vizer. Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. "We're all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision," wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. "I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail." The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country's corrupt system could be cleared. The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. "They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn't react at all to these accusations," wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. "That's why they're banning us." "Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors," a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. "It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday." (AFP)

Russia braces for IOC ruling after CAS bans athletics squad

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. 
 
The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. 
 
Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. 
 
The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. 
 
Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. 
 
&quot;Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory&#39;s suspension and that it will also be during the Games,&quot; WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. 
 
The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. 
 
Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. 
 
Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

WADA had suspended credentials of the laboratory on June 24 for failing to comply with international standards

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. "Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory's suspension and that it will also be during the Games," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. (Reuters)

Rio drug lab recertified for Olympic testing

Soccer&#39;s world ruling body FIFA has promised &quot;appropriate steps&quot; after a report on Monday said a dozen positive doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow. 
 
However, FIFA did not comment directly on allegations in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who sits on its supervisory FIFA Council, had ordered the cover-up in the cases of the footballers. 
 
The independent WADA report, which followed an investigation led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, concentrated on allegations of systematic doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. 
 
It said that Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping cases from a variety of sports, including soccer, in the run-up to the games. 
 
&quot;FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referred in the McClaren report,&quot; FIFA said in a statement to Reuters. 
 
&quot;Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps.&quot; 
 
The report said that Russian Deputy Sports Minister Yuri Nagornykh had decided which athletes would benefit from a cover-up, known as a SAVE order, although Mutko appeared to make the decision with regard to footballers. 
 
&quot;The (chief investigator) is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian League who had that benefit of a SAVE order,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh.&quot; 
 
Eleven Russian footballers also benefited from a cover-up after failing a doping test, the report said. 
 
&quot;Email evidence available... shows that the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of &#39;VL&#39;. VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport, Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko.&quot; 
 
Mutko, president of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup which will be hosted by Russia, has not commented since the release of the McLaren report. 
 
However, when the same allegations were made in June by German broadcaster ARD/WDR, he described them as &quot;silly&quot; and said that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup. 
 
Asked bout Mutko&#39;s situation, FIFA said &quot;the Ethics Committee is an independent body of FIFA and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue.&quot; 
 
The ethics committee could not immediately be reached for comment. 
 
(Reuters)

The report said a dozen doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow

Soccer's world ruling body FIFA has promised "appropriate steps" after a report on Monday said a dozen positive doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow. However, FIFA did not comment directly on allegations in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who sits on its supervisory FIFA Council, had ordered the cover-up in the cases of the footballers. The independent WADA report, which followed an investigation led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, concentrated on allegations of systematic doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. It said that Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping cases from a variety of sports, including soccer, in the run-up to the games. "FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referred in the McClaren report," FIFA said in a statement to Reuters. "Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps." The report said that Russian Deputy Sports Minister Yuri Nagornykh had decided which athletes would benefit from a cover-up, known as a SAVE order, although Mutko appeared to make the decision with regard to footballers. "The (chief investigator) is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian League who had that benefit of a SAVE order," it said. "That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh." Eleven Russian footballers also benefited from a cover-up after failing a doping test, the report said. "Email evidence available... shows that the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of 'VL'. VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport, Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko." Mutko, president of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup which will be hosted by Russia, has not commented since the release of the McLaren report. However, when the same allegations were made in June by German broadcaster ARD/WDR, he described them as "silly" and said that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup. Asked bout Mutko's situation, FIFA said "the Ethics Committee is an independent body of FIFA and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue." The ethics committee could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reuters)

FIFA promises 'appropriate steps' after WADA report on doping in Russia

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday gave a rousing send-off to the Rio-bound contingent at an event in New Delhi. 
 
The show was attended by several dignitaries including IOA President Narayana Ramachandran, Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel. 
 
Goodwill ambassadors for Rio, Indian actor Salman Khan and musician AR Rahman, were also present. 
 
The event marked the unveiling of the official Olympics kit of Team India. 
 
Officials interacted with the Rio-bound athletes and wished them luck in their endeavour. 
 
&quot;The fact that 121 athletes have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics, nearly one-third more than what was qualified for the last Olympic Games, that itself is a clear indication that Indian athletes have started to perform and they will perform well,&quot; said Ramachandran. 
 
Also part of the send-off was Dipa Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics in 52 years. She expressed hope of bagging a medal at the mega event. 
 
&quot;Preparations are going very well. Before the qualifiers, our preparation was strong and now my target is to replicate the performance which I have been doing and learnt here,&quot; said Karmakar. 
 
The Indian contingent for Rio is the country&#39;s biggest ever for any Olympic games. The previous highest was 83 that the country sent to the 2012 Olympics in London. 
 
The Summer Olympics this year will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

121 athletes have qualified for Rio 2016, nearly a third more than the number that qualified for the last Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday gave a rousing send-off to the Rio-bound contingent at an event in New Delhi. The show was attended by several dignitaries including IOA President Narayana Ramachandran, Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel. Goodwill ambassadors for Rio, Indian actor Salman Khan and musician AR Rahman, were also present. The event marked the unveiling of the official Olympics kit of Team India. Officials interacted with the Rio-bound athletes and wished them luck in their endeavour. "The fact that 121 athletes have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics, nearly one-third more than what was qualified for the last Olympic Games, that itself is a clear indication that Indian athletes have started to perform and they will perform well," said Ramachandran. Also part of the send-off was Dipa Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics in 52 years. She expressed hope of bagging a medal at the mega event. "Preparations are going very well. Before the qualifiers, our preparation was strong and now my target is to replicate the performance which I have been doing and learnt here," said Karmakar. The Indian contingent for Rio is the country's biggest ever for any Olympic games. The previous highest was 83 that the country sent to the 2012 Olympics in London. The Summer Olympics this year will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21. (Reuters)

India?s Rio contingent given rousing send-off in Delhi

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has called on FIFA to investigate Russia&#39;s sports minister Vitaly Mutko, a member of the football world body&#39;s executive, over drug failures in football. 
 
A bombshell report on &quot;state-dictated&quot; doping in Russia, which will host the 2018 World Cup, said the manipulation of tainted Russian samples was controlled by Mutko&#39;s ministry. 
 
The investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, released on Monday, did not provide evidence of a detailed implication by Mutko in decisions to protect drug-cheat athletes. 
 
But it said Mutko, president of the Russian football federation and chief organiser of the 2018 World Cup, took the decision to hide the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. 
 
McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was &quot;inconceivable&quot; that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. 
 
WADA called on FIFA to act on Mutko, a 57-year-old ally of President Vladimir Putin and sports minister since 2008. 
 
&quot;Another notable finding within the (McLaren) report is the role that one of FIFA&#39;s executive committee members, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, played within the system,&quot; said a WADA statement. 
 
&quot;Accordingly, WADA urges the FIFA ethics committee to look into the allegations concerning football and the role played by this member.&quot; 
 
The McLaren report said deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had almost a daily responsibility for deciding which athletes would get a &quot;SAVE&quot; order and have failed tests manipulated or be put under &quot;QUARANTINE&quot;. 
 
The report added however that McLaren &quot;is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian league who had that benefit of a SAVE order.&quot; 
 
&quot;That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
It said 11 footballers in all had drug cases covered up. 
 
It quoted email evidence as saying that &quot;the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of &#39;VL&#39;. 
 
&quot;VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian football federation.&quot; 
 
FIFA acknowledged the WADA call but said its ethics committee is independent &quot;and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue. 
 
&quot;For its part, FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referenced in the McLaren report. Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps.&quot; 
 
Mutko is due to stand for re-election to FIFA in March.&nbsp; 
 
The Kremlin said officials &quot;directly&quot; implicated by the report would be suspended but did not name them and attacked what it called the &quot;dangerous&quot; new &quot;interference of politics in sport.&quot; 
 
WADA president Craig Reedie demanded that the Russian government sack all sports ministry officials &quot;implicated&quot; by the McLaren report, but did not name any individuals. 
 
Much of the McLaren report is based on evidence provided by Rodchenkov, former director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory now in hiding in the United States. 
 
Rodchenkov told the inquiry that in meetings with deputy minister Nagornykh on the doping cover-up, &quot;Nagornykh told him that Minister of Sport Mutko was aware of everything that they were discussing. 
 
&quot;Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that it is inconceivable that Minister Mutko was not aware of the doping cover-up scheme.&quot; 
 
The Kremlin has slammed Rodchenkov as &quot;a person with a scandalous reputation.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Rodchenkov is now under criminal investigation by Russian authorities. 
&nbsp; 
The McLaren report said however that there were &quot;several documents which tend to corroborate Dr Rodechenkov&#39;s conclusion.&quot; 
 
Rodchenkov said he discussed a response to a German television documentary last year on doping in Russian athletics with Mutko. 
 
The whistleblower added that he met with Mutko before the Sochi Olympics. &quot;Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that the doping cover up plan for Sochi was discussed at those meetings.&quot; 
 
Rodchenkov also testified that Mutko knew about bribes allegedly paid to former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack to cover up doping failures by race walkers. 
 
&quot;Dr Rodchenkov&#39;s evidence is that in September 2012 he met with Minister Mutko to discuss the IAAF&#39;s extorsion demand. 
 
&quot;At that meeting, Minister Mutko asked Dr Rodchenkov whether the situation was really so bad he needed to pay all of that money, thereby exposing his knowledge of the doping problem in Russian athletics.&quot; 
 
McLaren made clear the power of the sports ministry, refered to as the MofS, over the Moscow and Sochi doping laboratories during the Winter Olympics and other events. 
 
&quot;The Moscow laboratory was effectively caught up in the jaws of a vice. It was a key player in the successful operation of a state imposed and rigorously imposed programme which was overall managed and dictated by the MofS.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The investigation by lawyer Richard McLaren revealed that the manipulation of samples was controlled by Vitaly Mutko's ministry

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has called on FIFA to investigate Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko, a member of the football world body's executive, over drug failures in football. A bombshell report on "state-dictated" doping in Russia, which will host the 2018 World Cup, said the manipulation of tainted Russian samples was controlled by Mutko's ministry. The investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, released on Monday, did not provide evidence of a detailed implication by Mutko in decisions to protect drug-cheat athletes. But it said Mutko, president of the Russian football federation and chief organiser of the 2018 World Cup, took the decision to hide the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was "inconceivable" that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. WADA called on FIFA to act on Mutko, a 57-year-old ally of President Vladimir Putin and sports minister since 2008. "Another notable finding within the (McLaren) report is the role that one of FIFA's executive committee members, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, played within the system," said a WADA statement. "Accordingly, WADA urges the FIFA ethics committee to look into the allegations concerning football and the role played by this member." The McLaren report said deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had almost a daily responsibility for deciding which athletes would get a "SAVE" order and have failed tests manipulated or be put under "QUARANTINE". The report added however that McLaren "is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian league who had that benefit of a SAVE order." "That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh." It said 11 footballers in all had drug cases covered up. It quoted email evidence as saying that "the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of 'VL'. "VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian football federation." FIFA acknowledged the WADA call but said its ethics committee is independent "and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue. "For its part, FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referenced in the McLaren report. Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps." Mutko is due to stand for re-election to FIFA in March. The Kremlin said officials "directly" implicated by the report would be suspended but did not name them and attacked what it called the "dangerous" new "interference of politics in sport." WADA president Craig Reedie demanded that the Russian government sack all sports ministry officials "implicated" by the McLaren report, but did not name any individuals. Much of the McLaren report is based on evidence provided by Rodchenkov, former director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory now in hiding in the United States. Rodchenkov told the inquiry that in meetings with deputy minister Nagornykh on the doping cover-up, "Nagornykh told him that Minister of Sport Mutko was aware of everything that they were discussing. "Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that it is inconceivable that Minister Mutko was not aware of the doping cover-up scheme." The Kremlin has slammed Rodchenkov as "a person with a scandalous reputation." Rodchenkov is now under criminal investigation by Russian authorities. The McLaren report said however that there were "several documents which tend to corroborate Dr Rodechenkov's conclusion." Rodchenkov said he discussed a response to a German television documentary last year on doping in Russian athletics with Mutko. The whistleblower added that he met with Mutko before the Sochi Olympics. "Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that the doping cover up plan for Sochi was discussed at those meetings." Rodchenkov also testified that Mutko knew about bribes allegedly paid to former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack to cover up doping failures by race walkers. "Dr Rodchenkov's evidence is that in September 2012 he met with Minister Mutko to discuss the IAAF's extorsion demand. "At that meeting, Minister Mutko asked Dr Rodchenkov whether the situation was really so bad he needed to pay all of that money, thereby exposing his knowledge of the doping problem in Russian athletics." McLaren made clear the power of the sports ministry, refered to as the MofS, over the Moscow and Sochi doping laboratories during the Winter Olympics and other events. "The Moscow laboratory was effectively caught up in the jaws of a vice. It was a key player in the successful operation of a state imposed and rigorously imposed programme which was overall managed and dictated by the MofS." (AFP)

Russian sports minister Mutko in doping controversy spotlight

Pakistan&#39;s sporting decline has left the vast South Asian nation that once prided itself on producing the world&#39;s best hockey and squash players facing up to an Olympics for which none of its athlete has qualified. 
 
While cricket remains a wildly popular game in Pakistan, a nation of almost 200 million, most other sport have shrunk in popularity as the successes of the 1980s and early 1990s have become a distant memory. 
 
In dilapidated gyms and crumbling sportfields Pakistani athletes lament the dated equipment and obsolete training methods which leave them struggling against foreign foes who adhere to the latest science-based techniques. 
 
Female athletes have an even bigger mountain to climb, most young girls in the deeply conservative Muslim nation are pressured by their families to stop exercising in public, while those with family backing face the wrath of their communities. 
 
&quot;We are behind the rest of the world,&quot; said Inam Butt, a Pakistani wrestling champion who won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. &quot;Our budget, training and facilities are just nothing. How can we compete?&quot; 
 
Butt, like other athletes, says the future will remain bleak until Pakistan&#39;s government starts pouring money into sport.&nbsp; 
 
The seven participants due to represent Pakistan at next month&#39;s Rio Olympics have all been given wildcard entries and stand &quot;no chance&quot; of winning medals, according to Arif Hasan, the Pakistan Olympic Association president. 
 
&quot;They are more or less going for the participation and gaining the experience. Let&#39;s hope next time will be better,&quot; he said. 
 
1980s training methods 
 
Those in charge of promoting sport in Pakistan despair.&nbsp;The grassroots system is almost non-existent, children in schools&nbsp;rarely play a sport which is not cricket, and top athletes seldom compete against the world&#39;s best as cash-strapped federations cannot afford to send them abroad. 
 
Waqar Ahmed, deputy director of the Pakistan Sports Board, said federations also cannot afford to hire top coaches familiar with scientific training techniques and end up relying on Pakistani trainers with &quot;obsolete&quot; methods from the 1980s. 
 
&quot;Athletes are really frustrated because... the coaches are not literate and they have been teaching what they were taught 30 years back,&quot; he said. &quot;Without infrastructure we can do a lot, but without the techniques you cannot win.&quot; 
 
The demise of hockey, Pakistan&#39;s national sport, has been painful to watch for an older generation who prospered during the halcyon days between 1960 and 1994, when Pakistan regularly won Olympic gold medals and world championships. 
 
Tahir Zaman, Pakistan hockey team coach, said the lack of government support means many young athletes no longer see a future in sports like hockey where top players get $10 per day. Pakistani cricketers, by contrast, are paid $5,000 monthly retainers and make a fortune from sponsorship deals.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The attraction is not there anymore. The (government) is not offering regular jobs for players,&quot; said Zaman, who won a bronze playing for Pakistan at the 1992 Olympics. 
 
At Lahore&#39;s empty 45,000-seat hockey stadium, Pakistani hockey player Hassan Anwar, 21, said that as a teenager his family begged him: &quot;please don&#39;t play hockey if you want a bright future&quot;. 
 
The demise of hockey has been mirrored by the decline in the Pakistani squash scene, where young players know all about 1980s legend Jahangir Khan - considered the greatest ever squash player - but none match his bravura on the court. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Women Harassed 
 
Pakistan&#39;s best known squash player is Maria Toorpakay Wazir, ranked 65 in the world, but to train she spent years dressing and pretending to be a boy in the ultra-conservative tribal areas near Afghanistan. Now she trains abroad. 
 
Pakistan Olympic chief Hasan says societal &quot;barriers are coming down&quot; for women but many female athletes rue the slow pace of change. 
 
At 16, Neelam Riaz&#39;s first love was cycling, but her father banned her from training on roads as men would stare at her. In response, she took up karate to learn how to fend off men and eventually stumbled on weightlifting. 
 
&quot;Usually in Pakistan girls are discouraged from sports, and often coaches push back,&quot; said Riaz, 25, who last year became a national champion and Pakistan&#39;s first female weightlifter to compete abroad. 
 
&quot;Now my family is happy with me doing weightlifting.&quot; 
 
In a dimly lit Lahore gym, where paint peels off walls, windows are shattered and cobwebs cling to a damp ceiling, Riaz is tutoring 16-year-old Iqra Chanzaib, who is new to weightlifting. 
 
Chanzaib wanted to play basketball, but the only hoop near her house was out in the open and full of boys, so one of her pious brothers protested. She then opted for weightlifting, indoors. 
 
&quot;There are plenty of girls like me but they cannot come because of family pressures. My own friends want to come but their families stop them,&quot; she said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

For the first time in Pakistan's history none of its athlete has qualified for the Olympics

Pakistan's sporting decline has left the vast South Asian nation that once prided itself on producing the world's best hockey and squash players facing up to an Olympics for which none of its athlete has qualified. While cricket remains a wildly popular game in Pakistan, a nation of almost 200 million, most other sport have shrunk in popularity as the successes of the 1980s and early 1990s have become a distant memory. In dilapidated gyms and crumbling sportfields Pakistani athletes lament the dated equipment and obsolete training methods which leave them struggling against foreign foes who adhere to the latest science-based techniques. Female athletes have an even bigger mountain to climb, most young girls in the deeply conservative Muslim nation are pressured by their families to stop exercising in public, while those with family backing face the wrath of their communities. "We are behind the rest of the world," said Inam Butt, a Pakistani wrestling champion who won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. "Our budget, training and facilities are just nothing. How can we compete?" Butt, like other athletes, says the future will remain bleak until Pakistan's government starts pouring money into sport. The seven participants due to represent Pakistan at next month's Rio Olympics have all been given wildcard entries and stand "no chance" of winning medals, according to Arif Hasan, the Pakistan Olympic Association president. "They are more or less going for the participation and gaining the experience. Let's hope next time will be better," he said. 1980s training methods Those in charge of promoting sport in Pakistan despair. The grassroots system is almost non-existent, children in schools rarely play a sport which is not cricket, and top athletes seldom compete against the world's best as cash-strapped federations cannot afford to send them abroad. Waqar Ahmed, deputy director of the Pakistan Sports Board, said federations also cannot afford to hire top coaches familiar with scientific training techniques and end up relying on Pakistani trainers with "obsolete" methods from the 1980s. "Athletes are really frustrated because... the coaches are not literate and they have been teaching what they were taught 30 years back," he said. "Without infrastructure we can do a lot, but without the techniques you cannot win." The demise of hockey, Pakistan's national sport, has been painful to watch for an older generation who prospered during the halcyon days between 1960 and 1994, when Pakistan regularly won Olympic gold medals and world championships. Tahir Zaman, Pakistan hockey team coach, said the lack of government support means many young athletes no longer see a future in sports like hockey where top players get $10 per day. Pakistani cricketers, by contrast, are paid $5,000 monthly retainers and make a fortune from sponsorship deals. "The attraction is not there anymore. The (government) is not offering regular jobs for players," said Zaman, who won a bronze playing for Pakistan at the 1992 Olympics. At Lahore's empty 45,000-seat hockey stadium, Pakistani hockey player Hassan Anwar, 21, said that as a teenager his family begged him: "please don't play hockey if you want a bright future". The demise of hockey has been mirrored by the decline in the Pakistani squash scene, where young players know all about 1980s legend Jahangir Khan - considered the greatest ever squash player - but none match his bravura on the court. Women Harassed Pakistan's best known squash player is Maria Toorpakay Wazir, ranked 65 in the world, but to train she spent years dressing and pretending to be a boy in the ultra-conservative tribal areas near Afghanistan. Now she trains abroad. Pakistan Olympic chief Hasan says societal "barriers are coming down" for women but many female athletes rue the slow pace of change. At 16, Neelam Riaz's first love was cycling, but her father banned her from training on roads as men would stare at her. In response, she took up karate to learn how to fend off men and eventually stumbled on weightlifting. "Usually in Pakistan girls are discouraged from sports, and often coaches push back," said Riaz, 25, who last year became a national champion and Pakistan's first female weightlifter to compete abroad. "Now my family is happy with me doing weightlifting." In a dimly lit Lahore gym, where paint peels off walls, windows are shattered and cobwebs cling to a damp ceiling, Riaz is tutoring 16-year-old Iqra Chanzaib, who is new to weightlifting. Chanzaib wanted to play basketball, but the only hoop near her house was out in the open and full of boys, so one of her pious brothers protested. She then opted for weightlifting, indoors. "There are plenty of girls like me but they cannot come because of family pressures. My own friends want to come but their families stop them," she said. (Reuters)

Pakistan sport hits low point with qualifying debacle

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month&#39;s Rio Olympics. 
 
The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. 
 
Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. 
 
Kenya&#39;s team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. 
 
&quot;The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports,&quot; Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. &quot;I would say that my confidence isn&#39;t high to think that there are not real issues.&nbsp;I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete.&nbsp;You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure?&nbsp;I don&#39;t think that you can say that.&quot; 
 
Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. 
 
&quot;It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction,&quot; she added. &quot;I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction.&quot; 
 
Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon.&nbsp;The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. 
 
&quot;I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with,&quot; she added.&nbsp;&quot;For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all.&nbsp;So it&#39;s pretty amazing to me that I&#39;m still going to Rio and while it doesn&#39;t look exactly how I hoped it would. But I&#39;m still going after it with everything I have.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'...My confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues...it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete'--Allyson Felix

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month's Rio Olympics. The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. Kenya's team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. "The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports," Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. "I would say that my confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues. I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete. You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure? I don't think that you can say that." Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. "It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction," she added. "I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction." Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon. The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. "I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with," she added. "For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all. So it's pretty amazing to me that I'm still going to Rio and while it doesn't look exactly how I hoped it would. But I'm still going after it with everything I have." (Reuters)

American sprinter doubts Olympic competitors are clean

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has been heavily criticised for its handling of information relating to a doctor who was allegedly supplying athletes with banned substances. 
 
The agency, a national organisation committed to drug-free sport, commissioned an independent review after claims aired in the Sunday Times that Dr Mark Bonar had provided more than 150 elite athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. 
 
Amateur cyclist Dan Stevens turned whistleblower in the hope of reducing his suspension after he was banned for two years for breaching anti-doping rules in 2014. 
 
But the review&#39;s report censured UKAD for failing to pursue claims against Bonar and for not contacting his professional body, the General Medical Council. 
 
While praising UKAD staff for their &quot;transparency&quot; and commitment to clean sport, the report was scathing about certain parts of the investigation into Bonar. 
 
&quot;It is difficult to understand why no contact was made with the GMC when that course of action was suggested on at least seven occasions either by members of UKAD, the athlete (Stevens) and his legal representatives,&quot; said the review&#39;s chairman, former Merseyside assistant chief constable Andy Ward. 
 
He added that &quot;as a minimum standard of investigation, a simple check&quot; with the GMC should have been made to find out if it, as Bonar`s regulatory body, had any information that could &quot;support or negate&quot; Stevens claims. 
 
UKAD was also criticised for not giving Stevens a more lenient sentence after his cooperation, with Ward highlighting the &quot;confusion and lack of clarity&quot; as to how the agency deals with dopers seeking to reduce their sanction in return for &quot;substantial assistance&quot;. 
 
He described UKAD&#39;s dismissal of Stevens request for a lesser punishment as &quot;harsh&quot; and &quot;subjective&quot;. 
 
That dismissal prompted Stevens to take his story to the Sunday Times, which then filmed the London-based Bonar claiming he had supplied prohibited drugs to more than 150 top-level athletes. 
&nbsp; 
Those claims, which were published by the newspaper in April, have now been investigated by UKAD, and the agency did eventually share its findings with the GMC. Bonar has since denied any wrongdoing. 
 
&quot;It is clear that opportunities to gather intelligence, secure evidence and investigate Bonar have been missed,&quot; Ward concluded. 
 
(AFP)

A review set up by the agency has censured it for failing to pursue claims that a doctor supplied drugs to more than 150 athletes

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has been heavily criticised for its handling of information relating to a doctor who was allegedly supplying athletes with banned substances. The agency, a national organisation committed to drug-free sport, commissioned an independent review after claims aired in the Sunday Times that Dr Mark Bonar had provided more than 150 elite athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. Amateur cyclist Dan Stevens turned whistleblower in the hope of reducing his suspension after he was banned for two years for breaching anti-doping rules in 2014. But the review's report censured UKAD for failing to pursue claims against Bonar and for not contacting his professional body, the General Medical Council. While praising UKAD staff for their "transparency" and commitment to clean sport, the report was scathing about certain parts of the investigation into Bonar. "It is difficult to understand why no contact was made with the GMC when that course of action was suggested on at least seven occasions either by members of UKAD, the athlete (Stevens) and his legal representatives," said the review's chairman, former Merseyside assistant chief constable Andy Ward. He added that "as a minimum standard of investigation, a simple check" with the GMC should have been made to find out if it, as Bonar`s regulatory body, had any information that could "support or negate" Stevens claims. UKAD was also criticised for not giving Stevens a more lenient sentence after his cooperation, with Ward highlighting the "confusion and lack of clarity" as to how the agency deals with dopers seeking to reduce their sanction in return for "substantial assistance". He described UKAD's dismissal of Stevens request for a lesser punishment as "harsh" and "subjective". That dismissal prompted Stevens to take his story to the Sunday Times, which then filmed the London-based Bonar claiming he had supplied prohibited drugs to more than 150 top-level athletes. Those claims, which were published by the newspaper in April, have now been investigated by UKAD, and the agency did eventually share its findings with the GMC. Bonar has since denied any wrongdoing. "It is clear that opportunities to gather intelligence, secure evidence and investigate Bonar have been missed," Ward concluded. (AFP)

UK Anti-Doping criticised for handling of doping claims

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) urged the Kenyan government to act &quot;quickly in the interest of protecting clean sport&quot; after the athletics powerhouse found itself caught in the eye of a fresh doping storm. 
 
A new investigation by German television channel ARD and Britain&#39;s Sunday Times newspaper alleged on Saturday that doping is rife at the elite training centre in Iten. 
 
Previous joint research by ARD and the British newspaper led to the banning of the Russian athletics team from the Olympic Games for state-sponsored doping. 
 
Over the past three years, around 40 Kenyan athletes have failed doping tests, shredding their reputation for probity and laying bare the reality behind their reputation as the most dominant middle-to-long distance running nation in the world.&nbsp; 
 
The allegations are a major blow as they follow only weeks after Kenyan lawmakers passed a law, having been threatened with a similar sanction as the Russians by WADA - making it a criminal act to either dope or to supply such products. 
 
The documentary, largely filmed with a hidden camera, says it successfully infiltrated a team, posing as an athlete, in the training centre, a favoured spot for distance runners, both Kenyan and European, as it is at high altitude - 2,400 metres above sea level. 
 
The documentary shows images of boxes of the endurance-boosting drug EPO on the inside of the training centre and used syringes dumped in a bin. 
 
EPO is shown to be widely available in the pharmacies around the centre whilst two doctors are only too willing to propose supplying the journalist posing as an athlete with doping products. 
&nbsp; 
One of the two doctors claims to have supplied to &quot;more than 50 athletes, including three British runners, based on his guarantee he could dramatically improve their performances in &quot;three months&quot;. 
 
&quot;Even if the athletes are subjected to doping tests they will find nothing,&quot; says the doctor. 
 
&quot;That is what the top level athletes take.&quot; 
 
The same doctor, according to ARD, when approached again retracted his claims and said he had nothing to do with doping and to have made up supplying the products. 
 
However, both he and the other doctor featured have since been arrested by Kenyan police, according to ARD. 
 
A man said to be the coach of an Olympic champion, appearing with his face hidden, confirms the claims made in the documentary. 
&quot;The great majority of the athletes who appear out of nowhere are doped,&quot; he says. 
 
The chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, Nicole Sapstead, said the report was &quot;of grave concern and of significant interest&quot;, adding they were investigating. 
 
&quot;I can confirm that this evidence is being treated with the utmost importance and urgency, and two UKAD staff are currently in Kenya pursuing a number of lines of enquiry,&quot; she said in a statement. 
 
Newly-installed WADA director-general Olivier Niggli, in a statement issued from the organisation&#39;s Montreal headquarters, said he had &quot;full confidence &quot; in UKAD. 
 
He added: &quot;This article is one in a series of reports questioning Kenya`s ability to effectively address doping; and, suggesting that there exists a culture of doping in the country. 
 
&quot;At the very least, this is an indication that the Kenyan government must quickly put the necessary human resources behind Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) in the interest of protecting clean sport.&quot; 
 
Earlier, ADAK head Japhter Rugut told ARD: &quot;We can see that we have a lot of problems at grassroots level and we will work with the police so as to weed out all those implicated in these criminal activities, both sports people and doctors, who will have to answer for their actions. 
 
&quot;We want to go to Rio with a clean team.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

A documentary by German TV and British newspaper showed boxes of endurance-boosting drug EPO and syringes inside the training centre at Iten

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) urged the Kenyan government to act "quickly in the interest of protecting clean sport" after the athletics powerhouse found itself caught in the eye of a fresh doping storm. A new investigation by German television channel ARD and Britain's Sunday Times newspaper alleged on Saturday that doping is rife at the elite training centre in Iten. Previous joint research by ARD and the British newspaper led to the banning of the Russian athletics team from the Olympic Games for state-sponsored doping. Over the past three years, around 40 Kenyan athletes have failed doping tests, shredding their reputation for probity and laying bare the reality behind their reputation as the most dominant middle-to-long distance running nation in the world. The allegations are a major blow as they follow only weeks after Kenyan lawmakers passed a law, having been threatened with a similar sanction as the Russians by WADA - making it a criminal act to either dope or to supply such products. The documentary, largely filmed with a hidden camera, says it successfully infiltrated a team, posing as an athlete, in the training centre, a favoured spot for distance runners, both Kenyan and European, as it is at high altitude - 2,400 metres above sea level. The documentary shows images of boxes of the endurance-boosting drug EPO on the inside of the training centre and used syringes dumped in a bin. EPO is shown to be widely available in the pharmacies around the centre whilst two doctors are only too willing to propose supplying the journalist posing as an athlete with doping products. One of the two doctors claims to have supplied to "more than 50 athletes, including three British runners, based on his guarantee he could dramatically improve their performances in "three months". "Even if the athletes are subjected to doping tests they will find nothing," says the doctor. "That is what the top level athletes take." The same doctor, according to ARD, when approached again retracted his claims and said he had nothing to do with doping and to have made up supplying the products. However, both he and the other doctor featured have since been arrested by Kenyan police, according to ARD. A man said to be the coach of an Olympic champion, appearing with his face hidden, confirms the claims made in the documentary. "The great majority of the athletes who appear out of nowhere are doped," he says. The chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, Nicole Sapstead, said the report was "of grave concern and of significant interest", adding they were investigating. "I can confirm that this evidence is being treated with the utmost importance and urgency, and two UKAD staff are currently in Kenya pursuing a number of lines of enquiry," she said in a statement. Newly-installed WADA director-general Olivier Niggli, in a statement issued from the organisation's Montreal headquarters, said he had "full confidence " in UKAD. He added: "This article is one in a series of reports questioning Kenya`s ability to effectively address doping; and, suggesting that there exists a culture of doping in the country. "At the very least, this is an indication that the Kenyan government must quickly put the necessary human resources behind Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) in the interest of protecting clean sport." Earlier, ADAK head Japhter Rugut told ARD: "We can see that we have a lot of problems at grassroots level and we will work with the police so as to weed out all those implicated in these criminal activities, both sports people and doctors, who will have to answer for their actions. "We want to go to Rio with a clean team." (AFP)

World agency calls for 'quick action' after another Kenya doping scandal

The IAAF&#39;s Doping Review Board has turned down applications from 67 Russian athletes to compete internationally as &quot;neutral&quot; individuals, following a blanket ban on the country&#39;s track and field athletes for systematic doping. 
 
The All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) said in a statement today it was informed by the sport&#39;s world governing IAAF that only one application had been approved, from long jumper Darya Klishina, out of 68 requests made. 
 
&quot;The rest of the 67 athletes who have been approved by the ARAF&#39;s board as they have fulfilled the federation&#39;s criteria to compete in the Olympics have been refused,&quot; ARAF said on its website. 
 
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia&#39;s track and field athletes last year after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report uncovered systematic state-sponsored doping in the country. 
 
The ban was extended last month, which ruled Russia&#39;s athletes out of next month&#39;s Rio Olympics, although ARAF has appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and it is due to rule on the case by July 21. 
 
Individual Russian athletes, however, could apply to the IAAF for exemptions to compete as a &quot;neutral athlete&quot; if they could prove they were not involved in the system and were subjected to drug tests outside the country. 
 
However, the 25-year-old Klishina, who finished 10th in the long jump at last year&#39;s world championships in Beijing, was the only one of the 68 athletes approved by ARAF who has been cleared by the IAAF to compete internationally as a &quot;neutral&quot;. 
 
Klishina&#39;s was one of 136 appeals to the IAAF under the neutral athlete provisions and most of the applications had been reviewed, the IAAF had said on Saturday. 
 
Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova&#39;s application to compete as an individual was accepted by the IAAF on July 1. She competed in the 800 metres at the European Athletics Championships on Wednesday although she pulled up injured. 
 
The former drug cheat&#39;s revelations helped expose the massive doping problem in her country and she left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. 
 
She is still waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee whether she can participate in the Rio Games. 
 
Legal possibilities 
 
ARAF said today it would carry on fighting against the IAAF&#39;s decisions and added that the country&#39;s athletes were continuing to prepare for the Olympics, which start on Aug. 5. 
 
&quot;The ARAF does not agree with the decision taken by the IAAF&#39;s Council from June 17 (to extend the blanket ban) and the decision from the IAAF&#39;s Doping Review Board on July 10 in regard to the Russian athletes,&quot; said the ARAF statement. 
 
&quot;The ARAF will use all legal possibilities in order that Russian athletes will get the chance to take part in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;Russian athletes are continuing to prepare for the most important event in four years, and together with the Russian Sports Ministry and the Russian Olympic Committee we will take all the necessary technical and organisational steps in order to prepare the Russian track and field team for the Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
&quot;The federation is fighting for the right of clean sportsmen and is waiting for a decision from CAS,&quot; ARAF added. 
 
Klishina&#39;s best performance at a senior global event was fourth at the world indoor championships in Istanbul in 2012. She has finished seventh twice at the world outdoor championships in 2013 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sopot. 
 
&quot;The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete,&quot; the IAAF said on its website. 
 
&quot;Darya Klishina&#39;s participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition,&quot; it added. 
 
(Reuters)

The All-Russian Athletics Federation said today that it will carry on fighting against the IAAF's decisions

The IAAF's Doping Review Board has turned down applications from 67 Russian athletes to compete internationally as "neutral" individuals, following a blanket ban on the country's track and field athletes for systematic doping. The All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) said in a statement today it was informed by the sport's world governing IAAF that only one application had been approved, from long jumper Darya Klishina, out of 68 requests made. "The rest of the 67 athletes who have been approved by the ARAF's board as they have fulfilled the federation's criteria to compete in the Olympics have been refused," ARAF said on its website. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia's track and field athletes last year after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report uncovered systematic state-sponsored doping in the country. The ban was extended last month, which ruled Russia's athletes out of next month's Rio Olympics, although ARAF has appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and it is due to rule on the case by July 21. Individual Russian athletes, however, could apply to the IAAF for exemptions to compete as a "neutral athlete" if they could prove they were not involved in the system and were subjected to drug tests outside the country. However, the 25-year-old Klishina, who finished 10th in the long jump at last year's world championships in Beijing, was the only one of the 68 athletes approved by ARAF who has been cleared by the IAAF to compete internationally as a "neutral". Klishina's was one of 136 appeals to the IAAF under the neutral athlete provisions and most of the applications had been reviewed, the IAAF had said on Saturday. Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova's application to compete as an individual was accepted by the IAAF on July 1. She competed in the 800 metres at the European Athletics Championships on Wednesday although she pulled up injured. The former drug cheat's revelations helped expose the massive doping problem in her country and she left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. She is still waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee whether she can participate in the Rio Games. Legal possibilities ARAF said today it would carry on fighting against the IAAF's decisions and added that the country's athletes were continuing to prepare for the Olympics, which start on Aug. 5. "The ARAF does not agree with the decision taken by the IAAF's Council from June 17 (to extend the blanket ban) and the decision from the IAAF's Doping Review Board on July 10 in regard to the Russian athletes," said the ARAF statement. "The ARAF will use all legal possibilities in order that Russian athletes will get the chance to take part in the Olympics. "Russian athletes are continuing to prepare for the most important event in four years, and together with the Russian Sports Ministry and the Russian Olympic Committee we will take all the necessary technical and organisational steps in order to prepare the Russian track and field team for the Olympic Games." "The federation is fighting for the right of clean sportsmen and is waiting for a decision from CAS," ARAF added. Klishina's best performance at a senior global event was fourth at the world indoor championships in Istanbul in 2012. She has finished seventh twice at the world outdoor championships in 2013 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sopot. "The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete," the IAAF said on its website. "Darya Klishina's participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition," it added. (Reuters)

IAAF turns down 67 Russian applications to compete as individuals

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in &nbsp;Olympic Games. 
 
Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. 
 
Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. 
 
&quot;I think he said &#39;dinero&#39; (money),&quot; she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. 
 
&quot;And then he said something else, but I don&#39;t know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones.&quot; 
 
The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. 
 
&quot;It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we&#39;re both OK,&quot; said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. 
 
Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said&nbsp;the Australian Paralympic Committee . 
 
Australia&#39;s Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. 
 
&ldquo;That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,&rdquo; said&nbsp;McLoughlin . 
 
&ldquo;We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.&rdquo; 
 
The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. 
 
Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. 
 
Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. 
 
Emergency measures are needed to avoid &quot;a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management,&quot; a decree in the state&#39;s Official Gazette said. 
 
The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state&#39;s security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel on Flamengo Beach when two men attacked them

An Australian paralympic sailor and team official were robbed at gunpoint while training in Rio de Janeiro at the weekend, raising fears about the security of athletes and tourists in Olympic Games. Liesl Tesch and physiotherapist Sarah Ross said that they were taking a bike ride in a park near their hotel at Flamengo Beach early on Sunday when they were confronted by two men, one of whom was carrying a pistol. Tesch, who won a sailing gold at the London Paralympic Games and has also competed in wheelchair basketball, told Australian television that the armed man pointed the gun at her and then gave her a shove. "I think he said 'dinero' (money)," she told Channel Nine, adding that she lifted up her shirt to showed she had no money with her. "And then he said something else, but I don't know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones." The men took the bikes and rode off, she added. "It was absolutely horrific, I can see it clear as day in my own head. We are both shaken, but physically we're both OK," said Tesch, who trained on her boat later that day. Tesch and Ross reported the incident to local police, said the Australian Paralympic Committee . Australia's Paralympic team chef de mission Kate McLoughlin said the sailing team were shaken by the incident and repeated a warning to athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while travelling in Rio. “That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period,” said McLoughlin . “We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games, but for athletes and teams travelling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious.” The Sept. 7-18 Paralympics follow the Olympics, which opens on Aug. 5. Olympic organizers plan to deploy around 85,000 security personnel for the Games, double the number used in London in 2012. Security issues are just one of the concerns facing Rio, which on Friday declared a state of financial emergency to help fulfil obligations for public services during the Olympics. Emergency measures are needed to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management," a decree in the state's Official Gazette said. The financial pinch resulted in a 30 percent cut in the state's security budget - just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics. (Reuters)

Australian paralympic sailor robbed at gunpoint in Rio

Russia`s sports minister said today that the country has carried out the anti-doping measures demanded by the world athletics governing body IAAF, adding that Russia was ready to help doping officers gain access to athletes. 
 
Minister Vitaly Mutko spoke after a damning new report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said hundreds of Russian athletes had declined to be tested and the IAAF Council is set to meet on Friday to decide whether to lift the ban against Russian athletes. 
 
&quot;At the end of the day we have fulfilled all the criteria, everything that they demanded of us. All the athletes are under control,&quot; Mutko told Interfax news agency. 
 
He said he would read the new WADA report, issued on Wednesday, and write to its president Craig Reedie to tell him: &quot;If you need government help, inform us, don`t wait until the last minute.&quot; 
 
&quot;We will do everything possible for doping inspectors to visit any city, even a closed city,&quot; Mutko said, referring to Russian cities with controlled public access due to secret installations.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Just make lists in advance and you will get passes, you will visit them.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Country's sports minister speaks up after WADA report said hundreds of the country's athletes had refused to be tested

Russia`s sports minister said today that the country has carried out the anti-doping measures demanded by the world athletics governing body IAAF, adding that Russia was ready to help doping officers gain access to athletes. Minister Vitaly Mutko spoke after a damning new report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said hundreds of Russian athletes had declined to be tested and the IAAF Council is set to meet on Friday to decide whether to lift the ban against Russian athletes. "At the end of the day we have fulfilled all the criteria, everything that they demanded of us. All the athletes are under control," Mutko told Interfax news agency. He said he would read the new WADA report, issued on Wednesday, and write to its president Craig Reedie to tell him: "If you need government help, inform us, don`t wait until the last minute." "We will do everything possible for doping inspectors to visit any city, even a closed city," Mutko said, referring to Russian cities with controlled public access due to secret installations. "Just make lists in advance and you will get passes, you will visit them." (AFP)

Russia has fulfilled all IAAF doping criteria, says Mutko

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