Eleven major Chinese government departments have combined in an
effort to combat doping more effectively, a top Chinese sports
official said in Madrid on Friday.
Duan Shijie, vice director of the State Sports Administration of
China (SSAC), said at the World Conference on Doping in Sport that
a coordination group of anti-doping had been founded in China,
which is chaired by SSAC director Liu Peng.
According to Duan, it also consists of experts and officials
from other ministries including the Ministry of Education, the
Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information Industry,
the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Health, China Customs,
the State Administration for?Industry and Commerce, the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine, the State Food and Drug Administration, and the
Legislative Office of the State Council, as well as BOCOG.
"We are aware that effective doping control is not confined
within the sport arena, but needs the efforts by all government and
social departments as well as cooperation from the international
community," said Duan, also the deputy director of the coordination
group.
"That's why we got the idea of such a group which could better
serve anti-doping fights with support from and cooperation between
different departments."
In August this year, State Councilor Chen Zhili convened and hosted a meeting,
discussing methods to implement the international convention and
regulations and to clean the epidemic in sport.
The meeting was attended by representatives from all the 11
ministries, which paved the way to the coordination scheme.
Duan also highlighted China's other achievements in fights
against doping including the recent foundation of an independent
National Anti-Doping Agency.
"With a total of 60 working staff, this independent agency will
further improve China's anti-doping work," he said.
China conducted 9428 tests on its athletes in 2006 and the total
number of tests is expected to exceed 10,000 this year.
"About 60% of the tests are out-of-competition and without
advance notice. Elite athletes from high-risk sports are our major
testing targets," he said.
Duan also made brief introduction of the progress in anti-doping
work for the Beijing Olympics.
"The number of tests for the 2008 Olympic Games will total more
than 4500. A new laboratory with a total area of 5500 square meters
will soon be operational," he said.
"The Chinese Anti-Doping Organization and BOCOG will make joint
efforts to cooperate with the IOC and WADA to make this Olympic
Games a clean one."
(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2007)