BUENOS AIRES: The Biogenesis doping scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball could have a positive effect on the sport’s bid to be reinstated to the Olympics, according to officials leading the push.
Although the sport’s reputation was badly tarnished when more than a dozen top players were suspended for their links to the Biogenesis clinic accused of supplying performance-enhancing drugs, the World Baseball Softball Confederation believes it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. WBSC co-President Don Porter said the stiff penalties handed out by MLB, which had been accused in the past of turning a blind eye to doping, were proof that the sport was cleaning up its act.
“Doping is not exclusive to baseball,” Porter told a news conference yesterday.
“I think many sports have that problem and we have to compliment the MLB because they’re working very hard.”
Baseball and softball were on the Olympic program from 1992 to 2008 but were kicked out for last year’s London Games after a secret vote, held in 2005. Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not specify exactly why the sports were given the boot, several IOC members have cited the sport’s refusal to comply with all the World Anti-Doping Agency rules among the reasons.
Baseball and softball have struck out twice in their joint attempts to get back on the Olympic programme and are back at the plate for another shot, short-listed along with wrestling and squash for readmission in 2020. The IOC will vote today to decide which sport gets back in and Porter believes the stiff action taken by the MLB could swing things towards baseball and softball.
“They’re doing a lot of things: their testing programme, sanctions,” Porter said.
“They’re working at it. They’re really doing something to try to eradicate the problem.”
Porter said the WBSC bidding team, which includes the son of former Cuban president Fidel Castro, were also optimistic that MLB would find a way to release some of its players to compete at the Olympics. REUTERS
