USADA head urges FIFA to test Russian team for doping

Moscow, June 22: The US Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart has called on FIFA to test the Russian national football team for doping following their opening victories at the World Cup.

“Russia must be aggressively tested to safeguard public confidence in the integrity of the World Cup,” Tygart was quoted as saying by The Telegraph on Thursday night, adding that “extraordinary performances demand additional tests.”

However, FIFA refused to reveal the number of doping tests conducted on Russia’s World Cup squad saying that they could not comment on such tests, reports Sputnik news agency.

Russia qualified for the round of 16 for the first time since the break-up of the Soviet Union after thrashing Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening game of the tournament on June 14 and beating Egypt 3-1 on Tuesday.

Russian players will face Uruguay in their final group A game on Monday. The hosts will then play Spain, Portugal or Iran in the round of 16.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia. IANS