The World Anti-Doping Agency and its head Craig Reedie faced stinging criticism from national Olympic committees yesterday for its handling of the Russian doping scandal, days before its board meeting where the Scot is up for re-election.

Reedie, speaking to the general assembly of the association of national Olympic committees (ANOC), said these were “troubled times” following the Russian doping affair, which saw dozens of athletes banned from the Rio Olympics.

While calling for more sanctioning powers for WADA and closer cooperation with governments, Reedie, up for re-election on Nov. 20, had to defend his organisation’s actions with half a dozen NOCs criticising him vocally.

He also had to defend the timing of releasing part of the so-called McLaren report into doping in Russia shortly before the Rio Games in August.

The investigation, triggered by media reports of state-backed doping in Russia, led to a partial ban of Russians at the Rio Games and the suspension of the country’s doping lab, its anti-doping agency and athletics federation.

WADA in July called for a complete ban of Russians at the Rio Games a month later but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared more than 250 Russian athletes, deemed as clean, to compete.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who heads the ANOC, called for a “neutral” president to deal with the fallout of the doping crisis.

“We need a neutral chair and reform committee to go through all of the proposals and to work in the right direction,” he said.

“There were questions of timing with the (McLaren) report and now we see it again with Doha, not because of cheating but because of procedures. The decision was only made on Nov. 7, but came here on the day of the general assembly.”