IOC target Pyeongchang 2018 to launch independent anti-doping agency and call on Governments to help fund it

The IOC hopes an independent anti-doping body will be up and running by Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has revealed here it has targeted Pyeongchang 2018 to have established an independent anti-doping testing body.

IOC President Thomas Bach also called today for strong Governmental support in the initiative, a key proposal to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Working Group set up to investigate the establishment of the new body.

WADA are expected to be given control of the new agency.

National Governments have a 50 per cent stake in WADA, currently led by Britain's IOC vice-president Sir Craig Reedie.

“Goverments are 50 per cent partners in doping and you are always saying how important anti-doping is for you so please join and make your contribution," said Bach.

A professional intelligence gathering unit should also be established to allow WADA to be proactive and to help them address issues concerning compliance of anti-doping organisations, according to the IOC, while doping sanctions should be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Bach admitted he is unaware of how much giving WADA a plethora of extra responsibilities would cost and there were no indications yet as to how many additional staff would be required for the project.

The IOC claim “the adoption of these proposals would lead to a more efficient, more transparent, more streamlined, more cost efficient and more harmonised anti-doping system”, adding that it would “better protect the clean athletes and enhance the credibility of sport”.

IOC President Thomas Bach called on National Governments to get behind the proposed new independent anti-doping body — IOC President Thomas Bach called on National Governments to get behind the proposed new independent anti-doping organisation which he hopes will be operating by the time of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang ©IOC

A new independent anti-doping body, which will eventually carry out and oversee anti-doping testing, was proposed at the recent Olympic Summit, held in October.

Richard Pound, author of the explosive WADA Independent Commission report, which highlighted a systemic and “state-supported” doping regime in Russia, had previously warned any such independent body would require a substantial increase in funding.

Under Bach's plan, International Federations would transfer their doping control operations to the new organisation and make the funding initially the level of the present investment in the fight against doping.

Bach, who has declared the project as "more important than ever", may be unsure of exact costs of the scheme, but remains confident it will yield success in the fight against doping if it is successfully implemented.

“If you put these resources together, this will make the system more effective," he said.

“It will have a separate budget from WADA and will improve transparency as you would see the financial contributions to the organisation.

“I fully believe where there is a will there is a way.”