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News26 Jul 1998


Nebiolo calls for world conference on doping

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: "We cannot leave this to the police and the courts"

27 July, 1998 - The President of the Association of Olympic International Federations and of the IAAF, IOC member Dr Primo Nebiolo, speaking on the problems of doping after the recent, clamorous events surrounding the Tour de France, and the declarations made by the President of the IOC, H.E. Juan Antonio Samaranch, has launched the idea of holding a world conference, either in Lausanne or Monte Carlo, with the aim of formulating concrete proposals to deal with this delicate problem.

"The problem of doping, is a problem which affects the whole of the sports movement and which now needs to be resolved quickly and effectively after years of indecision and ineffectual actions. We cannot leave these matters to be resolved by the police and the courts. Police action and eventual imprisonment for offenders may be necessary, but only as a last resort. We are at a cross-roads now and we cannot afford to take the wrong route.

"We have to act decisively, throw off the blinkers and attack the problem at the core and reach the conclusions which I have reached: it is sport which must fight this battle, with the help of the institutions. There should be one law for all, and by that I mean a European law, which will provide the guidelines for the administrators, coaches and doctors who make the sports machine work.

"Five years ago, we (ASOIF) met with the IOC and established a common policy paper on doping with rules and sanctions, but this was not accepted by all of the sports federations at that time. Among the federations which did not accept, were cycling, volleyball and tennis, but they promised to satisfy those requirements within two years. The IOC threatened to exclude them from the Olympic Games if this obligation was not respected, but we accepted their word that they would step into line.

"Then, in the name of Olympic unity, they were allowed to compete in Atlanta even though they had not respected the engagements they had taken before everyone. The excuse of their administrators was that in certain circumstances these major changes would do more harm than good and that too much severity would have resulted in damaging unpopularity. Recent events in cycling show the results of this sort of reasoning.

"I am not setting myself up as judge and jury, but a sport riddled with the suspicion of doping is bad for everyone, and some disciplines are bringing up their athletes with a credo that doping is part of sport. We have to stop this through education, serious norms and true justice. These are the concepts which will be on the table at the world conference we want to organise and which will require the support of the institutions.

"This time we must make it happen. It is painful to see what has been happening in the Tour de France over the past few days. It sends the wrong message to youngsters and destroys the image of one of the great symbolic sporting events. Doping is harmful for the athletes and it can kill a sport."

ENDS

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