"This year we faced great problems. The reputation of the Russian sport was seriously damaged," Mutko, a former sports minister, said in an opening speech to the Sports Ministry Board.
He also called for boosting the role of anti-doping organizations.
The Russian sport suffered from the doping scandal, simmering since 2014. It escalated in July when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) presented a report accusing Russia of running a state-wide doping program and urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider a blanket ban on the entire Russian Olympic team. The IOC instead let individual sports federations act on the issue.
On December 9, WADA independent commission headed by Richard McLaren issued the second part of the report on alleged Russian doping abuse, revealing manipulations by athletes in 30 sporting disciplines.
On Thursday, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) opened a formal probe into the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) and 29 individual athletes over their alleged involvement in doping scandal, while the International Skating Union (ISU) made a decision to move the ISU World Cup Speed Skating from the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.
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