Unannounced dope tests will be in force

WADA chairman Dick Pound, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president who conducted an inquiry into corruption that rocked the Olympic movement last year, said he was pleased with the new body’s progress.But he had a swipe at the three governing bodies yet to agree the deal when he said: “It is unfortunate that athletes competing in the other three Sports may be regarded with suspicion as a result of the refusal of their international federations to participate in the program. This is an unfair burden for them to carry.”

Pound, a Canadian lawyer, added: “I hope that the athletes themselves will urge their federations to change their policies, so that they, too can participate in the Sydney Games without an unnecessary stigma of suspicion attaching to them. Such an action would demonstrate that they wish to compete with honor and in the Olympic spirit.

The body hopes to perform 2,500 surprise tests by December and has so far carried out 680. Another 1250 should be performed in the near future which would mean WADA had completed 90 per cent of its target for Sydney and 77 percent for the year.

Sports governing bodies that have agreed WADA deal are AIBA (boxing), FEI (equestrian), FIBA (basketball), FIC (canoe-kayak), FIE (fencing), FIFA (football), FIH (hockey), FILA (wrestling), FINA (aquatics), FISA (rowing), FITA (archery), IAAF (athletics), IBAF (baseball), IBF (badminton), (IHF) (handball), IJF (judo), ISAF (sailing), ISF (softball), ISSF (shooting), ITF (tennis), ITTF (table tennis), ITU (triathlon), IWF (weightlifting), UCI (cycling) and WTF (taekwondo)

Battle to win back fans
SYDNEY: Australians are turning their backs on the Olympic Games in droves with only 16 percent planning to attend the event next month, fewer than half the number who wanted to go when Sydney was bidding to hold the Games in 1992, a new survey has shown.

The survey warned organisers, still trying to sell Australian $ 150 million (about Rs 395 crore) worth of tickets, that even in Sydney only 31 percent of residents plan to attend well below the 59 percent who said they would definitely go in 1994.

The Sweeney Sports Report, compiled by a Melbourne-based market research company and released this week, found that 28 percent of Australians “believe the games are overrated as an event.”