Belarus Acceded to International Convention against Doping in Sport

As is reported by Nikolai Kruchinskiy, Director of Belarusian National Anti-Doping Agency, on the eve of the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing Belarus acceded to the International Convention against Doping in Sport.

As is reported by Nikolai Kruchinskiy, Director of Belarusian National Anti-Doping Agency, on the eve of the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing Belarus acceded to the International Convention against Doping in Sport.

According to him, positive doping tests have become a cardinal problem of the world sport recently. “It is a commonplace,” said Nikolai Kruchinskiy. “To control this negative phenomenon, in 2005 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the International Convention against Doping in Sport. It entered into force in 2006 after the document had been ratified by 16 countries. On the eve of the Olympic Games in Beijing Belarus passed a law “On Accession of the Republic of Belarus to the International Convention against Doping in Sport” which aims at adherence to ethical principles in sport, prevention of doping by sportsmen and preservation of their health”.

According to the Director of Belarusian National Anti-Doping Agency, the Convention ratified contains 41 articles as well as a number of appendices with a constantly updated list of prohibited substances and methods. Besides that, it is attached two addenda containing international standards for the activities of anti-doping laboratories and procedures of sportsmen’s testing. To implement the principles of the Convention a special fund aimed at elimination of doping in sport has been established. Every year its member-countries contribute to it. For Belarus the amount of contribution is equal to $19 thousand, while for the USA and Russia – up to $100 thousand.

“Accession of Belarus to the International Convention against Doping in Sport will enable us to protect the rights of Belarusian sportsmen more efficiently and in accordance with the regulations,” said Nikolai Kruchinskiy. “Under the Convention, in case of a disease, if it is necessary, the sportsman has a right to undergo a cure using even prohibited substances. The sportsman just needs to fill in the required documents and submit them to relevant international anti-doping instances. In case of an emergency, it can be done even after the course of treatment, prescribed by the doctor, had already been started”.

But, as Nikolai Kruchinskiy noted, big sport is big money today. In chase of a momentary result some sportsmen are ready to take prohibited substances even on the penalty of disqualification. To confirm his words, he cited the results of the public opinion polls among Russian and Swiss sportsmen who were suggested to answer anonymously if they are ready to take stimulants in return for a secured winning of an Olympic medal and absence of penalty. An affirmative answer was given by 25% of Swiss athletes and by 85% of Russian ones. A similar poll took place in Belarus as well.

“Starting from 1994, 52 Belarusian sportsmen have had doping problems, two of them – paralympic sportsmen,” reported Nikolai Kruchinskiy. “These sportsmen were disqualified for a period from three months to a life-time. On the eve of the Olympic Games in Beijing in relation to two Belarusian sportsmen a doping investigation is still being held.

Moreover, certain anxiety is caused by imported to Belarus biologically active food additives (BAFA) which may contain the substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. “Formerly we tested imported to Belarus bio-additives in Moscow. But new version of World Anti-Doping Code which will come into effect from 1^st January, 2009 prohibits the accredited anti-doping laboratories to make the analysis of biologically active food additives for the purpose of detection of prohibited substances. That is why the only way out is to demand from BAFA suppliers the anti-doping certificates,” explained Nikolai Kruchinskiy.