ANTI DOPING ACT

Subject: International Events

Context: The US anti-doping Act will target those involved in international dope fraud conspiracies even if it happens outside the United States.

Concept:

• The Rodchenkov Act ( anti-doping)was passed by the Senate on Monday and will become a law once the US president signs it.
• It allows the USA to initiate legal proceedings against those involved in running doping rings, including coaches, officials, managers or suppliers even if they are not residents of the United States or if the act of doping took place outside the United States.
• The main objective of the Rodchenkov Act is to bring to book facilitators who otherwise got away when athletes who tested positive for performance-enhancing substances were banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
• The Act seeks to criminalise ‘major international dope fraud conspiracies’, which is mentioned in Section 4 of the Act.
• The Act will cover any ‘major international competition’ where one or more athletes from the United States participates and three or more from other countries are present.
• The Act also covers events where the competition organiser or sanctioned body has received sponsorship or funding from an organisation doing business in the United States, and the broadcaster has bought the rights to telecast in the United States.
• An offence will attract imprisonment of upto 10 years and a fine of upto $250,000 for individuals. Fines can go upto $1 million if a syndicate, lab or organisation is found to be indulging in doping related activities.