German politicians call for Cold War doping report to be published

German opposition politicians have called for publication of the report that detailed how West Germany's athletes were systematically doped with government backing, after it was revealed that it was being held back over privacy concerns.

According to The Guardian, the 800-page document titled Doping in Germany from 1950 to Today, came out on Saturday, and reveals how athletes were given drugs including anabolic steroids, testosterone and oestrogen over a period of decades, with the practice state funded through taxes.

Despite being completed in April, the report, which was commissioned by BISp and initiated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) in 2008, has not yet been published over concerns about the naming of athletes, doctors and officials in the document, the report said.

Leading German social democrat Thomas Oppermann said in a statement that he did not know why the study was being further kept under wraps and said he wanted to know if there was anything in it.

A spokesman from the federal interior ministry, which is responsible for sport in Germany, expressed that the report was an important contribution to educating about and evaluating doping in both parts of Germany, the report added.