TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

RI works to meet anti-doping standards after WADA’s rebuke

An official with the Indonesia Anti-Doping Agency (LADI) said that Indonesian athletes should have nothing to worry about in terms of joining future international sports tournaments despite the latest decision from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to include Indonesia on a list of five countries that had problems with their anti-doping programs

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, October 21, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

RI works to meet anti-doping standards after WADA’s rebuke

A

n official with the Indonesia Anti-Doping Agency (LADI) said that Indonesian athletes should have nothing to worry about in terms of joining future international sports tournaments despite the latest decision from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to include Indonesia on a list of five countries that had problems with their anti-doping programs.

WADA has issued a warning against Azerbaijan, Brazil, Greece, Guatemala and Indonesia. The five countries could face censure because of flaws in their drug testing programs.

The five countries have until November 10 to demonstrate compliance with WADA’s anti-doping code.

Should they fail, they risk being declared non-compliant when WADA meets in Glasgow on Nov. 19.

“We have always been compliant with WADA regulations. This is surely a misunderstanding. We are ready to provide a thorough explanation,” Bayu Rahadian of LADI’s research and medical division said on Thursday.

Bayu said LADI has always been very serious about drug testing athletes, including submitting test results to WADA-accredited laboratories, in a bid to ensure its integrity.

Recently, LADI submitted test results for athletes who competed in the Bandung National Games (PON) to a laboratory in India, as suggested by WADA.

However, Bayu also acknowledged that LADI has received recommendations to expand the organization, including hiring full-time staff members.

Separately, head of Indonesian Badminton Association’s (PBSI) development division Basri Yusuf said that his organization had applied strict protocol throughout the drug testing process.

Basri said PBSI provided a facility for drug testing, including rooms where athletes would take the test.

“We have never given tip-offs to athletes who will be given a drug test or any information that could benefit us. The test is completely random and managed under tight supervision of LADI and Badminton World Federation (BWF),” he said.

Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi lashed out at LADI’s failure to be licensed by WADA, as it could present an issue for Indonesia’s goal to host the 2018 Asian Games.

Imam expected LADI to work harder in its efforts to become licensed by WADA.

He also demanded that LADI take initiative in organizing regular drug tests for athletes, as WADA has required 3,000 drug tests per year.

WADA said its Compliance Review Committee (CRC), set up in 2015, had reported last month that the national anti-doping organizations of the five countries were not in compliance with the agency’s rules.

Brazil has faced a rocky 12 months after being placed on WADA’s watch list in November last year.

The 2016 Olympic hosts were given the all clear in March after Brazil’s then president Dilma Rousseff signed legislation that brought the country in line with anti-doping regulations.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.