Following the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) decision to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) as compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, World ParaVolley would like to clarify its position concerning ParaVolley in Russia and its anti-doping status.
“Whilst World ParaVolley is affiliated to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and acknowledges IPC rules, especially related to Paralympic Games participation, the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) is not the recognised World ParaVolley member in Russia.
“World ParaVolley is an independent organisation to the IPC, therefore the World ParaVolley Board decided in 2016, in the interests of clean Russian Sitting Volleyball athletes, that they would be permitted to participate in official World ParaVolley competitions provided the Russian Federation of Sports for Persons with Physical Impairment (RFSPPI) – the official World ParaVolley member in Russia – met certain conditions, including making a special contribution towards the costs of additional anti-doping testing.
“World ParaVolley and RFSPPI entered two annual agreements that provided for additional testing of Russian Sitting Volleyball athletes in 2017 and 2018. All such testing, conducted in and out-of-competition, with no-advance notice, using an external sample collection agency (not RUSADA), with analysis completed in WADA accredited labs outside of Russia and at the expense of RFSPPI, has not resulted in identifying any Anti-Doping Rule Violations.
“RFSPPI has been compliant in providing whereabouts information, reporting on its educational activities and the requirement to provide World ParaVolley with documents supporting and confirming that the Federation has established effective mechanisms in applying the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC).
“World ParaVolley believes it is fundamental to protect the right of its athletes to participate in a healthy doping-free sport, thus ensuring fairness and equality. It thus fully endorses the principles and purposes of the WADC and is committed, through its members and athletes, to achieving a doping-free sporting environment at all levels.
“World ParaVolley will test Russian Sitting Volleyball athletes as it does other Members’ athletes if the IPC membership of NPC Russia is renewed by IPC. If this does not happen by the end of 2018, World ParaVolley expects to extend its annual agreement with the RFSPPI.”
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