New anti-doping code may push for law amendments

A thorough review of domestic law concerning doping control need to be carried out by China to see whether it is sufficient for the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code, a World Anti-Doping Agency senior official said in Beijing Thursday.

Rune Anderson, head of WADA's Standards and Harmonization department, suggested Chinese anti-doping authorities started the review work before the new Code goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2015.

"From now on through next year, they have to look thoroughly into their legislation to see whether it is sufficient to cover issues that the Code, the UNESCO Convention and the Standards require," said Anderson before he finishes a three-day visit here.

"The review of the Chinese law should be done in light of the new Code. To implement the new Code, the look into the legislation is part of that," said the Norwegian.

"If the law isn' t sufficient in China, I am confident it will be looked thoroughly into and they will make amendments."

China passed the domestic Anti-Doping Code in 2004 and a new set of measures for doping control, drafted by the State General Administration of Sport (SGAS), is about to be released in accordance to the new Code.

"The Doping Control Measures turns the World Anti-Doping Code into a domestic regulation, which will be mandatory for all parties concerned," explained Chen Zhiyu, SGAS official.

"It is operable and fills loopholes of previous regulations," he added.

The force of the Measures, however, will be restricted within the sports circle while sports figures have been appealing for tougher punishments for those who use banned substances on athletes or entice them to do so.

International Olympic Committee member, former Winter Olympic winners Yang Yang has been an active advocate on pushing doping control into the crime law.

"The criminal law should be amended in order to press charges on those who organize, cheat or even force athletes into doping," once said Yang, who is also member of WADA athletes' commission.