Russia banned from all sporting events for the next four years
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Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all international sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland. It comes as a huge blow as the national side would not be able to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Football World Cup that is scheduled in Qatar.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday announced that Russia would be banned from all sporting events starting immediately for the next four years. This would restrict them from participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and further the 2022 Qatar Football World Cup. It further means that the country’s flag or the anthem will not be allowed in the International events.
However, athletes can participate after they have proved to untained by the doping scandal can be part of the Olympics under a neutral flag. The announcement was made in a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, with 21 days available for Russia to appeal against the ban. Wada vice-president Linda Helleland said the ban was "not enough".
"I wanted sanctions that can not be watered down. We owe it to the clean athletes to implement the sanctions as strongly as possible," he said.
Last year, Russia faced a similar fate in the Winter Olympics, where 168 athletes competed under a neutral flag in Pyeongchang after the country’s ban in the 2014 games. In the 2014 Sochi games, Russia had won 33 medals, which included 13 gold. Despite the ban in place, Russia can go ahead and play in the 2020 Euro Games, as UEFA is not defined as a ‘major event organisation’ in regards to anti-doping breaches.
