Russia doping: WADA pleased with Moscow`s `readiness` for change

Russia has vowed to retrieve its IAAF membership in time for next year`s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Moscow: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has expressed itself pleased with Moscow`s readiness to revamp its scandal-ridden anti-doping system, the Russian sports ministry said Friday.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has suspended Russia after a bombshell report published by a WADA independent commission found evidence of state-sponsored doping and large-scale corruption in Russian athletics.

Russia -- whose anti-doping agency RUSADA and anti-doping laboratory have been suspended over the report -- has vowed to retrieve its IAAF membership in time for its track and field athletes to compete at next year`s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

"WADA is pleased to note the assurances made by sports minister Vitaly Mutko about the support and readiness to implement the recommendations presented in the report by the WADA independent commission," WADA head David Howman was quoted as saying in a statement published by the Russian sports ministry following talks with Mutko in Frankfurt on Thursday.

"However there is still much work to be done to reform RUSADA," Howman added.

During this meeting with Howman, Mutko assured him that Russia had already done "colossal" work to eradicate doping and pledged to follow "all WADA recommendations" on revamping RUSADA.

WADA`s report accused RUSADA of "routinely" violating international testing standards and allowing athletes banned for doping to compete despite having been suspended from competition, among other damning accusations.

RUSADA, which had been declared non-compliant with international anti-doping standards, said it was already addressing the "deficiencies" identified in the WADA report and was committed to fighting doping.

The IAAF on Thursday said that Russia would not appeal its "full suspension" from world athletics.