WADA boss not impressed by MLB efforts
MONTREAL: The new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief blasted Major League Baseball's resistance to independent drug testing on Wednesday, labeling the sport's reaction to the Mitchell Report on steroids as baffling.
John Fahey, who took over the WADA leadership from Dick Pound this year, signaled he was ready to maintain the pressure on baseball to implement a tougher anti-doping program by issuing a scathing attack on MLB over its response to former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report.
"Professional baseball's response to Sen. Mitchell's report is baffling," said Fahey in a statement.
"To suggest that it might continue to keep its anti-doping testing program in-house, after 18-months of investigation led by one of the most respected individuals in modern public affairs who, in the final analysis, concluded that the league's anti-doping testing program needs to be managed in its entirety by an independent third party, is demeaning to Sen. Mitchell and the Congressional Committees who view doping as a serious threat to public health."
Fahey's comments came the day after MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, head of the Major League Players' Association, testified before the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
The new WADA chief labeled MLB's views on testing for Human Growth Hormone (HGH) as "fiction".
Contrary to what Congress was told during Tuesday's hearings, Fahey said a scientifically valid and effective test for HGH already exists.
He added that MLB is aware this test exists and that WADA, on several occasions over the past two years, has written to the MLB offering to host a meeting between WADA experts and the MLB to update them on the science.
"Equally reprehensible is their blatant disregard for the truth," added Fahey. "Contrary to what they have told Congress this week, there is a reliable test for HGH.
"The storing of blood is practical, in fact has been effectively in practice for some time in World Anti-Doping Code-compliant testing.
"It's time to separate fact from MLB fiction."
Fahey also scolded baseball for its reluctance to shift testing to an independent outside source as recommended in Mitchell's report.
Agencies
(China Daily 01/18/2008 page22)
