A former top military policeman has been tasked with reforming Russia’s anti-doping system following a string of doping scandals that have rocked Russian sports in recent years.
Russia was banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from this year's Winter Games as punishment for alleged state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The country's athletics federation, its anti-doping agency RUSADA and its Paralympic Committee remain suspended by international sporting bodies over doping allegations.
Russia, meanwhile, has denied state-sponsored doping and has pledged to curb usage of banned performance-enhancing substances.
A new Russian government decree named former chief of military police and two-time world Sambo champion Maj. Gen. Igor Sidorkevich as its deputy sports minister this week.
“Igor Sidorkevich will be in charge of enacting a set of measures to implement the national anti-doping plan in Russian sport,” the Sports Ministry said Thursday.
Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said he had confidence in his new deputy’s ability to “overcome challenges facing Russian sport.”
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
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