Putin praises Independent Public Anti-Doping Commission

Krasnodar, May 24 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the work done by the Independent Public Anti-Doping Commission (IPADC) to work out a national plan on the fight against abuse of performance enhancing drugs in sports. He said the commission should continue monitoring the implementation of this plan.

"We all know under what conditions they (specialists) had been working on the plan and it was enormous work based only on the principles of clean sports," Putin said on Tuesday addressing a session of the Council on the Physical Culture and Sport Development in Russia's Krasnodar, reports Tass news agency.

"I agree with a proposal that the commission should carry on with its work and undertake the authority of independent monitoring and control over the implementation of measures, which the Russian government must approve in near future based on this document," the Russian president added.

According to a statement from IPADC on Tuesday, the plan must be implemented before the end of 2017 and envisages a substantial reduction in anti-doping rules violations in Russia.

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Executive Board approved the establishment of the public anti-doping commission late last July. Vitaly Smirnov, who is also an International Olympic Committee's (IOC) honorary member, was appointed the head of the new body.

Smirnov worked for the IOC for 45 years and he also served as the ROC president between 1992 and 2001.

The decision to form the commission came after Putin announced in mid-July last year that the ROC could set up an independent public commission on issues about combating the abuse of performance enhancing drugs. The president's proposal came following a slew of sanctions against Russian sports over accusations of doping abuse.