Twelve world governments have pledged US$6.45m towards an anti-doping fund set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is matching funds with the aim of creating a joint fund of US$20m.
The fund was set in motion by the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and will be administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The world governments that responded to a call to match the IOC funding are China, France, Ivory Coast, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the US and Sweden.
The donations mean that the fund will have a starting budget of almost US$13 million.
“WADA is very pleased with the financial commitments that this partnership has generated for the fight against doping in sport”, said WADA president and IOC vice president Sir Craig Reedie.
“The fund allocated by the IOC has received the commitment of governments of the world to contribute a total of US$ 6,452,296. The funds will provide a tremendous boost to WADA in their efforts to carry out innovative, anti-doping research focussed on protecting the clean athletes.”
The 12 governments have committed to pay WADA in full by 31 March 2016.
As a separate fund for research in the fight against doping, the IOC will also administer the balance of US$3.55m remaining from the full US$10m it approved as part of Olympic Agenda 2020.
These funds will be allocated to researchers involved in athlete-centred projects in science and society. Four applications from researchers in Spain and Australia have already been selected.
“With Olympic Agenda 2020, we are changing the philosophy with regard to the credibility of sports competitions and of athletes,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.
“We must consider every cent in the fight against doping as an investment in the future of Olympic sport, not as an expense. This fund clearly shows that we support innovative anti-doping research that will lead to better protection of the clean athletes.”
Sir Craig Reedie was a keynote speaker at HOST CITY Bid to Win in October 2014, where Agenda 2020 was discussed before its unanimous adoption by the IOC.
Integrity in events will be a key theme of HOST CITY 2015.
