First, Bitti announced that the introduction of the biological passport has been delayed:
It was originally hoped to have the pass in place for the March tournament in Key Biscayne, Miami.Also, Bitti complained about the lack of action by governments with respect to anti-doping enforcement and the cost of doping controls:
"We still have to adjust a few things. I don't know if we will have it ready in Miami," Ricci Bitti said.
"WADA is not working as well as expected, this is not fair. It should be a 50-50 operation. We are doing a lot more than our partners in governments, and they criticize sport because it is easier. But things don‘t work like that. I did not complain about WADA as an organization, but about communications, especially after the Armstrong case," Ricci Bitti said.Bitti should spend less time whining about what others may or may not be doing and more time increasing the effectiveness of the currently woeful tennis anti-doping program.
He noted the fight against doping is not easy for sports officials, mainly because it is very expensive and puts a lot of pressure on scarce resources.
"Doping tests cost a lot of money, and that is money we need for sports development. We need more concern from governments, and governments are not acting as was expected," he said.
Better yet, Bitti should retire.
If I made comments with this tone where I work, I would be asked to leave. If I said somebody exterior wasn't doing enough, I would be asked WHAT I WAS DOING to put pressure on those outside people/organizations to be more helpful. Accountability not only means purpose in your own actions, it also means holding those other people responsible for what you think is important. These are comments that I would generally associate with a poor leader if I heard them in a vacuum.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was odd that Federer chose to miss Miami, but this might explain... "It was originally hoped to have the pass in place for the March tournament in Key Biscayne, Miami"
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of a declining troll on TW.
DeleteSo by missing one tournament he hopes to avoid a measure that will apply throughout the year? Either he is intellectually challenged or you are.
DeleteThe passport doesn't work that way. Turning a passport program "on" is more about being able to analyse blood and urine data already collected (or collected in the future) to ascertain trends in blood and steroid parameters that point to doping and to have the technical expertise to justify such an accusation of doping without a positive test.
DeleteAny decent lab can turn on a passport program tomorrow for a sport.
And all it takes is corruption by the sporting authorities and their placemen (and women) to see that it is completely ineffective and is subverted.
DeleteAnti-doping is only effective if there is the desire to catch and punish dopers.