Spokesperson of the National Anti-Doping Committee: No Federation Has the Right to Collect Samples

According to the policy of the Physical Education Organization in establishing the National Anti-Doping Committee, from now on, no doping sample collection by federations will be acceptable. Dr. Ali Taheri, spokesperson of the National Anti-Doping Committee, stated in an interview with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) that after Iran's membership in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the National Anti-Doping Committee was formed in the country as (NADO), which is obligated to follow WADA regulations. Furthermore, after the establishment of the Anti-Doping Convention at UNESCO, other countries will be compelled to adhere to the agency's rules. He continued: This means that from now on, with the approval of the National Anti-Doping Committee's regulations, which align with the agency's laws, all aspects of education, control, and anti-doping efforts will be unified, and with the coordination and consensus of sports officials in the country, we hope this committee will achieve its lofty goals. The secretary of the Planning and Supervision Committee of the National Anti-Doping Committee pointed out the performance of some federations in the fight against doping, stating: It is clear to everyone that the capability to analyze doping tests does not exist in the country, and all tests are sent abroad. In this regard, some federations and various sectors have arbitrarily collected samples and sent them to laboratories, which will no longer be accepted, and we must move towards unification as soon as possible. However, federations and various sectors can assist the committee in education and research. The spokesperson of the National Anti-Doping Committee emphasized that the committee's performance is not limited to one sport but encompasses all sectors and disciplines of the sports community, stating: The fight against doping, which has so far been led by the committee, will not be exclusive to wrestling, and all sports will be affected. In this context, doping sample collection will take place during this week's sports competitions in various disciplines.