(ATR) Good governance and doping are the hot topics at the International Federations Forum in Lausanne.
Presidents, vice-presidents and secretaries general from more than 100 Olympic and non-Olympic sports are gathering for the ninth edition of the three-day IF meeting with the theme "Governance in Sport."
International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation president Ivo Ferriani said he is focused on keeping a clean house and continuing to practice good governance in leading his federation.
"All IFs have the responsibility to act in the proper way – I think good governance is a principle, and for me good governance is related to good people," Ferriani told Around the Rings. "It’s my aim to be measurable – I have one boss and it’s my congress and they will decide if I am acting correctly."
"We’ve had a good session here and I feel pretty strong that we’re in a good shape, but you always have to stay vigilant on your governance," said new International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty.
Taking place under the cloud of the doping and corruption scandal rocking the Russian athletics federation and all international sport, IF leaders have expressed a variety of opinions on ways to once and for all stomp out doping.
With the fate of Russia’s athletics federation in the hands of Sebastian Coe and the International Association of Athletics Federations Council with a decision regarding a suspension expected Friday, reactions and responses are coming rapidly.
IOC president Thomas Bach pointed toward a future of anti-doping tests being independent from sports federations while addressing media in Lausanne.
"I need more time to analyse this item," Ferriani said about implementing independent anti-doping. "I can do what I do myself, I can be the most responsible as possible with my federation. I don’t have other solutions at this moment."
"Overall, we are very blessed in our sport that we have really not have had any doping issues, but we would welcome that as we are not doping experts as a federation," International Luge Federation president Josef Fendt said of Bach’s proposal.
"I think we’re very vigilant about it, we have a program and procedure in place, we stay on top of things and work very closely with WADA," Haggerty said of the ITF’s fight against doping. "We do everything to make sure that we have the integrity for the sport."
On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s athletes have been part of a systematic doping program on Wednesday.
Ferriani said he wasn’t worried about any potential ramifications for his sport considering Russian bobsleds won both gold medals in Sochi 2014.
"I’ve done all the best for my federation, so it’s not up for me to say anything about this," said the Italian bobsleigh chief. "For me, the game was real and now it’s finished," he said of the Sochi results.
Russia also slid to a pair of silver medals in luge in Sochi, one in the new mixed team relay event.
"The Russians that won the medals in Sochi are regular medal winners and they get tested on a regular basis on our circuit," the luge boss Fendt said. "There’s no pattern that would indicate that there is trouble with the Russian luge association."
Weightlifting federation chief Tamas Ajan explained how he aims to keep his sport clean, despite negative perceptions towards his sport.
"We have a very, very, strong anti-doping program and not only on the occasion at the next world championships which will be in the U.S. in Houston, but also at championships and with out-of-competition testing, we make many controls," Ajan said.
Fendt and luge secretary general Svein Romstad have guided the luge federation together for 22 years. Fendt said it’s unfortunate that a dark cloud is hanging over all sport federations as a result of recent corruption scandals.
"It is very sad that through these actions, there is a perception that every federations has things going on," Fendt said. "Actions of one federation kind of drags everyone else with them and that’s kind of sad."
Maxine Cassis is the secretary general of the World Confederation of Billiard Sports, organizing the games of pool, snooker and carom. Overseeing a group of non-Olympic sports, his objectives differ from others.
"I’m watching the International Federations that are already Olympic to see how they work, so I can learn how to make our federation Olympic," Cassis said. "All of them are talking about the same problems – transparency, elections, management of budget. You need to find motivated people without forgetting that sports is nothing without athletes."
Federation leaders stressed the necessity to be progressive, while applying good governance and integrity for international sport to move the dark cloud currently hanging over it.
Ferriani said: "every day we need to ask ourselves what can we do to improve our federation, to be updated because the time and world is changing so quickly."
The veteran luge leader Fendt added: "It’s important that we all remain a family and having a forum like this where we can exchange ideas is very good."
IOC deputy directory general Pere Miro and sports director Kit McConnell also contributed to Wednesday’s discussions delivering a session titled ‘Olympic Agenda 2020 Perspective on Good Governance’ on Wednesday.
The IF Forum concludes on Friday addressing the topics of sustainability and legacy.
Written byBrian Pinelli
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