Economic crisis having no impact on doping fight

The global economic crisis has had no impact on funding for the fight against doping in sport, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said.

Speaking ahead of a WADA executive committee meeting at the weekend in Montreal, Fahey said the agency had received 99.3 per cent of dues from member governments and expected to have 100 per cent before the final budget was announced in December.

The International Olympic Committee continues to provide most of WADA's financing, matching dollar-for-dollar the contribution from governments and other stake holders.

"We have received almost all of our budget for 2010," Fahey told reporters during a conference call.

"It looks like for the second year in a row we are going to receive 100 per cent of our budget. I think this is a clear commitment to conduct the fight against doping.

"This must be a difficult year for all the governments of the world... there is certainly a strong indication that as difficult as times were the governments of the world saw this as a priority issue."

The contentious whereabouts clause in the WADA code will also be on the agenda as confusion over the rules have spread from FIFA to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The clause requires athletes to nominate a time for every day of the year in which they will be available for testing.

The ICC said this month that it would ask WADA to consider a cricket-specific code for its whereabouts rule.

The influential Indian cricket board rejected the WADA directive last month, backing its players' refusal to sign up over security and privacy issues.

"I think there has been and there still is somewhat confusion from a few athletes that have not been properly informed by their anti-doping organisation or do not fully understand the system," said Fahey.

"Irrelevant of whether they have been selected to be part of a registered testing pool, athletes can still be tested anywhere and anytime.

"The ICC are compliant with the WADA code and India is a member of the ICC. We have taken the matter up with the proper Indian authorities and made a request to see if the Indian government supports the stand taken by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).

"We hope there is an understanding that the harmonisation of rules around the world involves the cricket community and it involves India."

Fahey refused to comment on several high-profile doping matters including the gender case involving South African women's 800 metres world champion Caster Semenya and the three-month suspensions handed to four Jamaican runners who admitted using a banned substance.

The executive committee will consider next year's list of prohibitive substances which is revised annually and continue to work on the new Athlete Passport system.

Fahey also said 124 of 193 member states, representing 88 per cent of the world's population, had now ratified the UNESCO convention against doping in sport.