Russian sports minister says IAAF should be disbanded: R-Sport – Reuters

MOSCOW Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Sunday the world athletics’ governing body, IAAF, had unfairly shifted blame for the doping scandal to Russia’s athletics federation and should be disbanded, R-Sport agency reported.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday backed the IAAF’s decision to extend its ban on Russia for systematic doping, ending any slim hopes that Russian athletes might have had of competing at the Rio Games in August.

The president of IAAF Sebastian Coe has said that Russia has made some progress in tackling the use of prohibited substances by the athletes, however it was “not enough” to lift the ban on the athletes.

“In essence, by shifting the responsibility to the All-Russia Athletic Federation, they have exonerated themselves from the responsibility. The IAAF should be disbanded,” Mutko was quoted as saying.

The IAAF suspended Russia last year over concerns its athletes were guilty of systematic doping.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Ros Russell)