World Anti-Doping Agency Audits Brazilian Authority

03/23/2017 - 11h39

This week, ABCD (Brazilian Doping Control Agency), the federal entity for combating doping attached to the Ministry of Sports, will undergo an audit from WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).

Three officials involved in the organization that regulates and controls worldwide anti-doping activities will verify the utilization of international technical standards called for in the Worldwide Anti-Doping Code.

This posture also reveals dissatisfaction on the part of the international agency with the performance presented by the Brazilian entity, which was created in November 2011.

The procedure is rare and has only been carried out in Russia, where sports have been plagued by recurring doping denunciations and scandals, and in Kenia, another country targeted by the world agency.

The Russian Athletics Federation has been de-accredited by the International Association of Athletics Federations since the end of 2015 and was banned from the Rio-2016 Games.

Brazil isn't going through a situation as critical as Russia, but has been dealing for months with a difficult scenario related to the combating of sports doping.

The ABCD has been de-accredited by WADA since November of last year for failing to conform to the world code, and has reduced the number of anti-doping tests applied, especially those outside of competitions. Due to this, the world agency decided to intervene.

Three members of the conformity commission arrived in Brazil recently to verify whether the ABCD is complying with recommendations and standards in the areas of technical procedures and results management, as well as to identify whether all of the rules of the Worldwide Anti-Doping Code are being followed properly in the country.

The anti-doping agency also wants to verify whether testing and investigative standards and practices are in line with the organization's guidelines.

Another concern is to determine whether the ABCD has been following international guidelines for granting Authorizations for Therapeutic Usage - which permit athletes to use substances under medical authorization.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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