Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/710370
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST 2016 20 Sport SPORTTODAY OLYMPICS FOOTBALL Split develops between WADA and IOC over Russian decision THE World Anti-Doping Agency was told it needed to restore its reputation as the war of words over the timing of its response to the Russian doping scandal escalated on Tuesday. WADA has been criticised by members of the International Olympic Commit- tee for not acting on information from whistleblowers of widespread doping in Russia until it became public through the media last year. As a result, a WADA-commissioned re- port on the extent of the abuse, was pub- lished in July, leaving the IOC to make a decision on whether Russian athletes could participate in the Rio Games just weeks before they were due to open. The scandal has led to dozens of Rus- sian athletes being banned from the Olympics, which begin on Friday, includ- ing essentially the entire track-and-field team. But the IOC has come under fire for not imposing a blanket ban on Russian ath- letes, despite the report revealing system- atic state-backed doping in the country. WADA chief Craig Reedie, who is also an IOC Vice President, has defended his organisation's actions, saying it acted once concrete facts were made available. But at yesterday's IOC session the fire was turned back on WADA. Alex Gilady, of Israel, told fellow IOC members: "Already in 2010 the whistle- blower came to WADA. They said they didn't know what to do with this." "One has to scratch his head if WADA says they did not know what to do with whistleblowers who came to them with clear information and just left it. So whistleblowers had to go somewhere." Gilady was referring to middle-distance runner Yulia Stepanova, who had written to WADA, repeatedly offering evidence of state-backed doping in Russia, but ended up providing the information to German broadcaster ARD which produced several documentaries revealing the scandal. "It is not the reputation of the IOC that needs to be restored but the reputation of WADA," Gilady said. Reedie sat through the fiery session but said he would respond when he presented his report later. Several national anti-doping agencies and athletes groups had accused the IOC of failing to show leadership at a crucial time. But in another veiled criticism of WA- DA, IOC President Thomas Bach said: "Given our remit, it is not the IOC that is responsible for the accreditation and supervision of anti-doping laboratories. "It is not the IOC which can be held re- sponsible for alleged corruption between the leadership of an international federa- tion and a national member federation to cover up doping. "The IOC has no authority over the testing programme of athletes outside the Olympic Games. The IOC has no au- thority to follow up on information about the failings of the testing system." Calls for an all-out ban on Russian com- petitors in the wake of the report were overruled by the IOC, which instead set a number of criteria, including a spotless doping record and sufficient internation- al doping test, for Russians to be cleared to compete in Rio. But Argentine member Gerardo Werthein said it was WADA that had failed, saying the organisation was more interested in self-promotion. "I believe that this delay by WADA and the failure to investigate serious and credible allegations more swiftly has left the sports movement ... in a very difficult position facing incredibly difficult deci- sions in an impossible timeframe. "At times WADA has seemed to be more interested in publicity and self- promotion rather than doing its job as a regulator, acting with transparency, and looking after the best interest of clean athletes." New coach Bauza plans to convince Messi to play for Argentina again Argentina's new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month's South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers BAUZA was named on Monday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi 's side to two suc- cessive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile. The more recent of those results in the Copa America Centenario in the United States in June led to Messi deciding to quit the team. It was his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. "I'm optimistic about Messi," Bauza said. "I hope the chat with him will help for him to carry on in the national team. "I want to explain to Messi what my (tactical) idea is. The least of my worries is his position on the pitch," Bauza was quoted as saying in the Argentine daily La Nacion on Tuesday. "There's no need to convince Messi of anything, the plan is to talk about foot- ball," said Bauza, speaking in Brazil where he has coached Sao Paulo for eight months. Bauza, who quit his job with Sao Paulo to accept the Argentina vacancy and will sign his contract in Buenos Aires on Fri- day, has only a couple of weeks to decide on his squad for qualifiers at home to Uruguay and away to Venezuela in the first week of September. "There isn't much time. My first squad won't have many changes but I want to talk with five or six of the leading play- ers," Bauza said, no doubt referring to the likes of Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Ma- ria and Gonzalo Higuain. He also opened the door for Carlos Tevez, overlooked by Martino since a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Asuncion last October where he won his 76th cap. "I'm thinking of Tevez as I am about other players ... Tevez is a player good enough for the national team," Bauza said. Bauza, a former central defender, reject- ed a tag as a defensive coach, saying: "I'm one of those who think that all (the team) have to defend. Football today is like that. "You can defend in your opponents' half if the pressure is high (up the field) but it's easier when you have players of the quality of the Argentina team. The op- tions they offer you are many." Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American World Cup qualif ying group with 11 points from six matches, two points behind leading pair Uruguay and Ecuador. The top four teams after 18 matches go through to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an interconti- nental playoff for one more berth. Argentina's new coach Edgardo Bauza wants Messi back in the team