FINA's Reform Committee published a report recommending changes
to address concerns over the governing body's operational
independence and possible conflicts of interest in handling
anti-doping violations.
The Committee recommended reforms in six key areas, including
the creation of an Aquatics Integrity Unit (AIU) to oversee
anti-doping, event manipulation and corruptible offences and
ethical violations.
FINA has been urged by the Committee to disband its Doping Panel
in favour of prosecuting potential violations before the Court
of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and to create an Adjudicatory
Chamber to replace the current Ethics Panel.
"For years, FINA has been criticized for the way in which it
handles not only alleged anti-doping rule violations, but all
other matters of integrity such as ethical violations and
corruptible offences," the report said.
"Alleged offences were referred to the respected adjudicatory
body in clandestine fashion, often without explanation (of) why
certain matters were considered alleged offences and others were
not.
"The adjudicatory bodies within FINA – while facially
independent – were not operationally independent from FINA.
Athletes, in particular, have had little faith in the integrity
of the FINA anti-doping, adjudication and ethical system."
Further recommendations include an overhaul of FINA's existing
marketing strategy, reviewing its current events calendar,
increasing prize money and having greater diversity in its
Executive Boards and Committees.
FINA said it was hopeful the AIU would become operational in
June next year, subject to approval during an Extraordinary
Congress in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 18.
"Aquatics athletes and those who support them deserve the very
best in terms of integrity protections, whether for anti-doping,
competition manipulation, harassment, abuse or other ethical
violations," FINA executive director Brent Nowicki said.
"That is exactly what FINA is determined to put in place. The
proposal to create an Aquatics Integrity Unit is a clear sign of
FINA's determination to prioritise the protection and wellbeing
of aquatics sport participants."
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken
Ferris)
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