...the international events which have just been set to be held in Indonesia cannot be announced.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Olympic Committee of Indonesia (KOI) said that he will resume discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to expedite the lifting of sanctions against the Indonesian Anti-Doping Agency (LADI).

KOI head Raja Sapta Oktohari delivered the statement during a joint working meeting with LADI, the Youth and Sports Ministry, and Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives at the Parliament Building, Jakarta, on Thursday.

He informed that the discussion will be carried out after LADI completes the pending matters raised by WADA.

"Currently, apart from prohibiting to raise the Indonesian flag at international tournaments, the international events which have just been set to be held in Indonesia cannot be announced,” the KOI head said.

However, the events that were planned to be hosted by Indonesia before WADA imposed the sanctions can still be carried out according to schedule, he added.

Related news: Indonesian gov't forms team to lift doping sanctions soon

Hence, according to Oktohari, although the sanctions will be enforced for one year starting October 2021, Indonesia can still hold three 2021 Badminton World Federation (BWF) tournaments; 2021 World Superbike; 2022 MotoGP; and the 2021 Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) Asia Cup.

They are scheduled to be held from November 16 to December 5, 2021; November 19–21, 2021; March 2022; and July 2022, respectively.

The WADA Sanctions Revocation Acceleration Task Force is focusing on expediting attempts to comply with WADA’s anti-doping code, including the fulfillment of doping test samples, he informed.

Meanwhile, head of LADI, Musthofa Fauzi, said that the issuance of the sanctions was not only due to the lack of the samples, but also the independence of the agency.

"The problems also comprise administrative problems concerning the independence of LADI, as well as several other administrative obligations which have to be fulfilled to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code," he elaborated.

Hence, he said he hoped that LADI would be recognized under the National Sports System Law to get acknowledged and access planned funding.
Related news: Helping LADI communicate with WADA on lifting of sanctions: KOI

Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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