Africa athletics body defends ex-IAAF chief over doping

The Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) believes its officials are targeted negatively in the fight against doping that is bedevilling track and field discipline at the moment.

CAA believes embattled International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) former president Lamine Diack of Senegal is being condemned without trial for abetting doping, reports Xinhua.

“For some days, the African athletics family is living some particularly difficult moments due to allegations against some of its members, mainly (honorary) president Lamine Diack, as part of an investigation led by the Independent Commission of World Anti-Doping Agency,” CAA president Kalkaba Malboum said in a statement on Tuesday.

French police are investigating the son of Diack and the former head of its anti-doping department, amid the corruption crisis engulfing international athletics.

Papa Massata Diack, Valentin Balakhnichev, Alexei Melnikov, and Gabriel Dolle have been charged with various alleged breaches of the IAAF code of ethics.

Papa Massata Diack is a former consultant to the IAAF, Balakhnichev is the former president of the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF), Melnikov is a former chief ARAF coach for long distance walkers and runners, and Dolle is the former director of the IAAF’s anti-doping department.