By David Owen
August 19 – FIFA has yet to formulate a ‘Plan B’ for handling World Cup doping tests in the event of the local Rio de Janeiro doping control laboratory being unavailable, and is unlikely to do so before next year.
Questioned by Insideworldfootball on the recent suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of the accreditation held by the UFRJ Rio de Janeiro doping control laboratory, also known as Ladetec, the world football governing body responded as follows:
“It is still too early to draw a conclusion or speak of a concrete Plan B.
“FIFA, jointly with WADA, will evaluate how things evolve.
“If next year the lab in Rio is still not accredited, FIFA could always find an alternative option.”
WADA moved earlier this month to suspend Ladetec’s accreditation, stating that a further decision regarding “possible revocation” of this credential would be made by its executive committee.
Insideworldfootball has been told that this decision will come in early September, little more than nine months before the 2014 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to kick off in Sao Paulo.
The reason for the initial suspension, however, has still not been made clear.
The only other WADA-accredited laboratory in South America at present is in Colombia, although there are also facilities in Cuba and Mexico.
FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke is due in Brazil this week, with the sale of 2014 World Cup tickets due to get under way on August 20. Valcke is expected to visit the host cities of Sao Paulo, Curitiba and Manaus in the company of Brazilian sports minister Aldo Rebelo and former players Ronaldo and Bebeto, who are both members of the local organising committee board.
Under the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), a facility whose accreditation has been revoked as ineligible to perform testing of doping control samples for any testing authority.
Ladetec’s current suspension, which it may appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice, became effective on August 8, less than a year after it was reinstated following a partial suspension from January 2012.
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