RUSADA to Become More Independent, May Be Funded by Finance Ministry

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will become more independent after the agency could be funded directly by the Finance Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will become more independent following the withdrawal of the country's Sports Ministry representation in the organization, while the agency could be funded directly by the Finance Ministry, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Saturday.

"We will keep on thinking about how to make it [RUSADA] independent, I do not rule out that there will be a separate line in the budget next year — RUSADA. And it is not the Ministry of Sport that will transfer them money, but they will receive it as all state funded organizations do, from the Ministry of Finance. Thus, we will give them more independence, in order not to be told that we somehow influence them through finances," Mutko told R-Sport.

In early September, Vitaly Smirnov, the Russian independent anti-doping commission chief, said that RUSADA would replace the board of founders and, perhaps, the board of directors. He also added that the new Russian anti-doping agency would receive independent funding without intermediaries.

On Friday, the Sports Ministry announced that it would withdraw its representation from the RUSADA starting on Saturday to ensure transparency of the anti-doping watchdog.