'IAAF should explain what other actions it expects from Russia'

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) should explain to Russia what other actions it should undertake to restore the status of the national athletics, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Saturday.

On Friday, world athletics' body, IAAF decided at its session to keep in force suspension of the All-Russian Athletics Federation's (ARAF) membership. The suspension means that Russian field and track athletes are currently ineligible to take part in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, reports TASS.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide at its June 21 session to admit Russian track and field athletes to the Rio Olympics.

"We want to realise what else we should do," Mutko told TASS. "Has the organisation decided there were insufficient efforts to protect the athletes? All right. We are not going to get isolated, we are ready to cooperate with everyone, on a positive basis."

The independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published on November 9 the results of its probe into the activities of the ARAF, the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Russian Sports Ministry.

--IANS

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