Kolkata: The International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) on Monday confirmed that Russia could not participate in the 2017 London World Championships due to an extension in their doping ban. This has been a major setback for the world’s biggest nation, which currently holds absolutely no place in global athletics.
The IAAF has always been complaining against the Russians about their negligence regarding doping issues. It has stated that either the state just accepted the issues or on other occasions, ‘convincingly’ rebutted against the supreme governing body of Athletics. The All-Russian Athletics Federation was advised by the IAAF to confront the World Anti-Doping regarding the extension on the ban.
The 15-month-old ban couldn’t be lifted at the IAAF’s council meeting in Cap d’Ail near Monaco and the governing body clarified that Russia could not claim the status of a National Athletics side before November 2017. “Our priority is to return clean athletes to competition but we must all have confidence in the process” said Sebastian Coe, the president of the IAAF governing body.
So does this mean that the Russian athletes who actually aren’t associated with any doping issues cannot participate in the 2017 London Championships? Well, the answer is No! The athletes who are clean and will adhere to the rules and regulations of the governing body can participate without any hassle, but only independently.
This means that in the upcoming championship, we may be able to see Russian athletes participate without representing their nation. Hence, Russian players, yet no Russian team to be precise. Regarding this decision of the IAAF, Coe said “Clean Russian athletes have been badly let down by their national system. We must ensure they are protected and that those safeguards give confidence to the rest of the world that there is a level of playing field of competition when Russians return”. He further went to say that already 35 Russian athletes have applied independently to participate in the 2017 championships, hosted by England.
(With inputs from Times of India)