Apr 23 2009
Football Olympics in Newcastle City May Not Push Through Because of WADA-FIFA Conflict
Hopes of having the Olympic football at the St. James’s Park may be halted by an anti-doping row and could cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Newcastle United Stadium had been chosen as the venue for the upcoming world’s finest young footballers on the 2012 Olympics. However, football’s ruling bodies have not accepted the new rule laid down by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The WADA is an independent foundation established through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee or the IOC. The Agency was created on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland to advocate, coordinate and monitor the battle against drugs in sports.
The WADA was initially funded by the International Olympic Committee, but now receives half of its budget from them and the other half comes from different government around the world. The governing bodies of the WADA are composed in equal parts by representatives from different sporting movements including athletes and government of the work. Most of the agency’s key activities are scientific researches, development of anti-doping capacities, education and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code – the document harmonizing regulations about anti-doping in all sports and countries. WADA also constructs an annual list of prohibited substances as well as methods that are not allowed for the athletes to take or use.
With the new “whereabouts” law, top-flight football players will have to fall in line with other sports and provide player location for one hour each day including summer holidays. But the governing bodies of the UEFA and FIFA are against this as they claim that there is the need to protect the private lives of the athletes – this conflict makes Newcastle city officials worry about the event being axed.
According to Newcastle City Council and Executive member for Culture Pauline Allen, the upcoming Olympics is a perfect opportunity to showcase the city and attract tourists. According to her, they are really looking forward to hosting some football games at the St. James’s Park and that it would be very disappointing if football will be taken out, yet they were more concerned that their region will lose the chance to have a taste of the Olympics. She also added that they were looking forward to being part of the Olympics in Newcastle and that they can show people their lovely city which has a real passion for football on any stage.
MEP Lib Dem of the North East Fiona Hall said that hosting football matches as part of the Olympics can provide a great potential for the region. The event can draw tourists to the North east and lead to job creation and a local economic boost. Lib Dem further added that the although Olympic committee are right to take a strong stand because the use of performance enhancing drugs constitutes cheating regardless of whether it is team or individual sports, it would still be a huge blow for Tyneside if the decision would cause the cancellation of the Olympic football matches.
A joint statement issued by the two footballing authorities says that they are formally rejecting the stance taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) concerning the “whereabouts” rule and more specifically the individual locations of the team sports’ athletes. The FIFA and the UEFA are further opposing the individual “whereabouts” rule and would rather see it replaced by collective location rules, along the scope of the team and within the stadium infrastructure. The statement also provides for the Fifa and Uefa and their request for WADA to reconsider its position on the “whereabouts” rule.
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