WADA Heck!!! (1)

Now, here's the first take on the World Anti-Doping Agency or WADA, more so about their biggest failure - curbing doping practices in sport.

Most blatantly visible of all, if you check out the World Anti-Doping code available in their website http://www.wada-ama.org/ , is the failure of it to effectively catch and punish the cheats.

A significant amount of WADA's budget is spent on fighting legal battles. So, how effective can you say the World Anti-Doping Code is? WADA is good at coming up with lists of banned substances. Their former president Richard William Duncan Pound, or just plain Dick Pound, was famous as a crusader, catching those alleged to be dopers. But what use is there if the Code leaves so many grey areas which those with the clout and finances can exploit, challenge or manipulate? They catch and ban the athlete, but then find themselves running out of cash when the athlete decides to take it all the way in court.

WADA appoints Government Ministers from third world countries to sit in their council. But for what? It isn't like these Ministers, who themselves are ignorant, are going to help in any way. All they do is self-promote, about being part of the crusade. Of course, they can catch the small fries, the athletes from third world countries without the financial muscle to challenge the Code. They sure can't effectively nail the big boys. Or are the big boys innocent in the first place? Let's review the bloody CODE!!!

Here's cyclingnews.com's latest take on the Floyd Landis case:

Landis case costing WADA $1.3 million
The appeal by Floyd Landis to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has so far cost the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) nearly $1.3 million dollars (840,000 euros). Chairman of the WADA Finance Committee, Sir Craig Readie, told AFP that WADA had asked the UCI for financial assistance but none was forthcoming. "WADA could not help but get involved with the Landis case by default," said Readie.
WADA's legal director Oliver Niggli explained that the sheer complexity of the Landis case was the reason for such exorbitant legal costs. "The Landis case involves 400 pages of testimony, 6000 documents and five days of hearing," he said.
Niggli said that of WADA's $25 million annual budget, $1.7 million had been spent in the past 18 months on cycling-related doping cases. In contrast, the average cost of litigation for each WADA case is around $10,000.
Suspended for two years in September 2007, Landis presented his appeal to CAS in late March at a hearing in New York. The CAS ruling is expected to be known in June. According to AFP, Landis is expected to have spent approximately two million dollars on his own defence.
The Operación Puerto case has also cost WADA a lot of money, but Niggli said there was little hope of bringing the case to a close in the near future. "In the Puerto case, the Spanish judge has refused to give us access to the blood bags," he said. "We have spent a lot of money without much progress."
At a meeting of its Executive Committee on Saturday, WADA decided to establish a reserve fund of $1.5 million to finance proceedings against athletes convicted of doping.
Cyclingnews' coverage of the Floyd Landis case
March 12, 2007 - Landis' judgment day nearsOctober 21, 2007 - Landis files appeal with CASOctober 18, 2007 - AFLD takes another look at Landis caseThursday, October 11 - Landis continues fight, appeals to CASSaturday, September 22 - UCI officially names Pereiro 2006 Tour champion, Landis case raises issuesFriday, September 21 - Landis' appeal denied, two year suspension levied Sunday, September 16 - Arbitrators close Landis case Sunday, September 2 - Landis decision expected this monthFriday, August 31 - Landis decision due? Thursday, July 12 - Easy money for Landis? Tuesday, July 10 - Landis on book tour Thursday, July 5 - Landis will know verdict Friday Thursday, May 24 - It's science versus as Landis' fate hangs in the balance.