MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pledged to establish an “independent” system to tackle doping in the country, but insisted again that the state had never run a drug cheating program.
“We are creating a new system of fighting against doping,” Putin was quoted as saying by TASS news agency in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
“We will transfer this system from the sports ministry to an independent organization, as has been done in many countries in the world,” he said, adding a new laboratory would be built in the grounds of the famed Moscow State University.
Russia has been scrambling to reform since a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) inquiry revealed evidence of state-sponsored drug cheating that saw its athletics team and entire Paralympics squad sidelined from the Rio Games last year.
Putin admitted that Russia’s previous anti-doping system was ineffective but denied outright the existence of a state-run doping program in the country.
“The system of anti-doping control which has existed until now didn’t work,” Putin added. “This is our fault and we should acknowledge it.
“But I’d like to stress once again that there has never been, is not and, I hope, will never be any state-run doping program in Russia.
Putin pledges ‘independent’ anti-doping system
Putin pledges ‘independent’ anti-doping system
Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder in rout of Cavaliers
- Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points
Los Angeles: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to winning ways with a 136-104 pummeling of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Two days after suffering an upset defeat by Miami on Saturday, the NBA champions ensured there would be no repeat against Cleveland as the league marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday with a packed slate of fixtures.
Apart from a brief spell at the start of the first quarter, Oklahoma City led throughout, building up a double-digit lead before accelerating away with a 45-point fourth quarter.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points.
Isaiah Joe chipped in with 16 points from the bench while Aaron Wiggins finished with 12 as five Thunder players recorded double figures en route to a victory that sees Oklahoma City improve to 36-8 at the top of the Western Conference.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 19 points while four Cavs players — Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and De’Andre Hunter — all finished with 16 points apiece.
In Monday’s other early game, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 21 points helped the Milwaukee Bucks hold off a late rally in a 112-110 road win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Milwaukee opened a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter but a stubborn Atlanta line-up chipped away at that advantage and grabbed a slender one-point lead with just over a minute remaining before the Bucks reasserted themselves to dig out victory.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta’s scoring with 32 points off the bench including seven three-pointers, with Jalen Johnson finishing with 28 points for the home side.
