WADA experts say Moscow anti-doping lab is world's best: Mutko

Experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) say the Moscow anti-doping lab is the best in the world, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko has said referring to the lab suspended by the agency in November.

"Our attitude to attempts to politicise the doping issue and to make Russia 'an axis of evil' is composed. The situation is developing in the world in which no matter what Russia would be doing is bad. WADA's foreign experts are working here, I meet with them once a week and they consider our lab the best," the minister said on Saturday.

WADA's independent commission published on November 9 the results of its probe into the activity of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF). The commission accused certain athletes and sports officials of doping abuse and involvement in other activities related to violations of international regulations on performance enhancing substances.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Moscow anti-doping laboratory subsequently suspended their activities, while WADA's board of founders approved the finding of the agency's independent commission that RUSADA did not comply with the code of the international anti-doping organisation.

The issue of returning Moscow lab's accreditation will be solved before the end of the year, the acting head of the lab, Marina Dikunets, said earlier.

--IANS

sam/vt