U.S. Senate passes anti-doping sports bill

U.S Senate

U.S Senate

U.S Senate

U.S. Senate on Monday passed a bill that would allow U.S. justice officials to pursue criminal penalties against anyone involved in doping at international events.

This new act involves American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters.

The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which previously passed the House of Representatives unanimously, passed the Senate unopposed and needs the signature of the president to become law.

“The act will provide the tools needed to protect clean athletes and hold accountable international doping conspiracies that defraud sport, sponsors and that harm athlete,” said Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“It act establishes criminal penalties for systems that carry out doping-fraud schemes that rob athletes, citizens and businesses,” he said.

“Also it protects whistleblowers from retaliation and provides restitution for athletes defrauded by conspiracies to dope.

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“It is a monumental day in the fight for clean sport worldwide and we look forward to seeing the Act soon become law and help change the game for clean athletes for the good.”

The bill has divided the anti-doping world.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has expressed concern that the Rodchenkov Act, named after the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who helped expose Russia’s state-sponsored doping, could destabilise the global anti-doping effort while giving U.S. professional and college athletes a free pass.

There were also worries that the bill will impede the capacity to use whistleblowers by exposing them to multiple jurisdictions and preventing ‘substantial assistance’ deals.

Reuters/NAN

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