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Friday, August 9, 2024

WADA statement on Reuters story exposing USADA scheme in contravention of World Anti-Doping Code

WADA Exposes USADA's Prolonged Doping Scheme ...


WADA Exposes USADA's Prolonged Doping Scheme ...


The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) responds to a Reuters story of 7 August 2024 exposing a scheme whereby the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) allowed athletes who had doped, to compete for years, in at least one case without ever publishing or sanctioning their anti-doping rule violations, in direct contravention of the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA’s own rules. 

This USADA scheme threatened the integrity of sporting competition, which the Code seeks to protect. By operating it, USADA was in clear breach of the rules. Contrary to the claims made by USADA, WADA did not sign off on this practice of permitting drug cheats to compete for years on the promise that they would try to obtain incriminating evidence against others. 

Within the Code there is a provision whereby an athlete who provides substantial assistance can subsequently apply to have a proportion of their period of ineligibility suspended. However, there is a clear process for that, which does not involve allowing those who have cheated to continue to compete while they may or may not gather incriminating evidence against others and while they could retain a performance-enhancement effect from the substances they took. When WADA eventually found out about this non-compliant practice in 2021, many years after it had started, it immediately instructed USADA to desist. 

WADA is now aware of at least three cases where athletes who had committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue to compete for years while they acted as undercover agents for USADA, without it notifying WADA and without there being any provision allowing such a practice under the Code or USADA’s own rules. 

In one case, an elite level athlete, who competed at Olympic qualifier and international events in the United States, admitted to taking steroids and EPO yet was permitted to continue competing all the way up to retirement. Their case was never published, results never disqualified, prize money never returned, and no suspension ever served. The athlete was allowed to line up against their unknowing competitors as if they had never cheated. In that case, when USADA eventually admitted to WADA what had been going on, it advised that any publication of consequences or disqualification of results would put the athlete’s security at risk and asked WADA to agree to non-publication. Being put in this impossible position, WADA had no choice but to agree (after verifying with its Intelligence and Investigations Department that the security threat was credible). The athlete’s doping was therefore never made public. 

In another case of a high-level athlete, USADA never notified WADA of its decision to lift an athlete’s provisional suspension, which is an appealable decision, despite being required to do so under the Code. Had WADA been notified, it would never have allowed this. 

How must other athletes feel knowing they were competing in good faith against those who were known by USADA to have cheated? It is ironic and hypocritical that USADA cries foul when it suspects other Anti-Doping Organizations are not following the rules to the letter while it did not announce doping cases for years and allowed cheats to carry on competing, on the off chance they might help them catch other possible violators. WADA wonders if the USADA Board of Directors, which governs USADA, or U.S. Congress, which funds it, knew about this non-compliant practice that not only undermined the integrity of sporting competition but also put the co-operating athletes’ security at risk.  

WADA statement following comments by CEO of United ...

WADA statement following comments by CEO of United States Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is astonished by the outrageous, completely false and defamatory remarks made by the CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart, who has made very serious accusations against WADA in connection with the case of 23 swimmers from China that was reported upon by the media earlier today.

Mr. Tygart’s allegations are politically motivated and delivered with the intention of undermining WADA’s work to protect clean sport around the world. WADA notes that the damaging comments have been delivered without any supporting evidence whatsoever.

The truth of this matter is that according to all available scientific evidence and intelligence, thoroughly gathered, assessed and tested by leading anti-doping experts, WADA had no basis to challenge the explanation of environmental contamination. At all times, WADA acted in good faith, according to due process and following advice from external counsel when it decided not to appeal this case. In the absence of any other evidence WADA, still today, stands by the results of its rigorous scientific investigation as well as the approach of its Intelligence and Investigations Department. WADA’s statement of 20 April outlines the Agency’s position on this file in more detail.

It is implicit in his statement that Mr. Tygart does not accept the finding of environmental contamination in this case although he cannot say why. Yet, it is true that in the United States, WADA has also accepted USADA’s similar conclusions of contamination involving a number of U.S. athletes. Mr. Tygart should realize that it is not only American athletes who can fall victim to situations of no-fault contamination.

USADA contacted WADA in early 2023 based on a tip it had received about an alleged cover-up involving these cases but unfortunately was unable to provide any evidence whatsoever.

It should be noted that following Mr. Tygart’s false allegations, WADA has no choice but to refer this matter to its legal counsel for further action

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Qigong for Stroke Recovery

 

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions. For example, if a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls limb movement, a person’s ability to move an arm or leg may be affected. A stroke can also affect mental processes such as how people feel, think, communicate, or learn. In the video on this page you'll learn some methods of Qigong for stroke recovery which can speed up the process, regardless of how long ago the stroke occurred. #stroke #strokerecovery #qigong #chikung #qigongmeditation #qigongforbeginners #janicetucker #spacetorelax 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL HERE: https://bit.ly/Janice_Space2Relax Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons (https://spacetorelax.com/space-to-rel.... Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button above so you don't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a "Like" if you found it informative. Why Is Qigong Helpful in Stroke Recovery? 1. As I explained above, if you have a stroke, your brain is affected. Qigong helps you to form new connections in your brain as the movements involved are ones which the body isn't used to carrying out. These new movements promote new brain connections. 2. Qigong involves repetitive movements which, practised every day, over and over, help to reinforce the new neurological connections in the brain. Repetition is the key here. The more repetition, the more stable these new connections become. 3. Qigong is free and easily accessible. Unlike attending the gym, physiotherapist or swimming to help with recovery from stroke, Qigong methods, once you have learned them, can be performed in the comfort of your home for no cost. Other methods to help recovery may incur a cost or visit to a special facility which is not always practical. Qigong can also be performed from a standing, sitting or lying down position so can be adapted to the range of movement a person may have following a stroke. 4. Qigong can easily be integrated into daily activities. This makes the repetition aspect easy to carry out as you can do Qigong when you are standing in a queue, walking, driving, standing, reaching for things, etc. 5. Qigong Helps Balance The Whole Body. Working from a whole body perspective is very important subsequent to a stroke as this means that the parts of your body which may have been weakened by the stroke can be assisted by the stronger parts. Where Can I Learn Qigong for Stroke Recovery? If you would like to learn some Qigong for stroke recovery then there are a number of things you can do: 1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage (https://spacetorelax.com/). There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you've completed the free series you'll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I'll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be adapted for stroke recovery. 2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button. That way you won't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a "Like" and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video. 3. Join my free Facebook group, "Space To Relax Free Group" (  / janicetuckercourses  ) and leave any comments or questions for me there. I'll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health. https://spacetorelax.com/ MEDICAL DISCLAIMER You must not rely on the information in this video as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or another professional healthcare provider. Information provided here is of a general nature. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information in this video. By partaking in any Qigong exercises shown in my videos, understand that you do so at your own risk, that there is the chance of physical injury and that you release and discharge Janice Tucker from any and all claims that may arise. Always seek medical advice before embarking upon any exercise programme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtN6MB7sdDg

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Fly-by-night architects on the prowl

LAM: Services have now proliferated. especially on social media sites.

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The activities of fly-by-night architects and illegal practices by unregistered companies offering architectural and interior design services have evolved rapidly with technological advancement, says the Malaysian Board of Architects (LAM).

In the past, these services were advertised in newspapers and on websites.

They have now proliferated, especially on social media sites like TikTok and ecommerce platforms.

“We were surprised by such advertisements. That is alarming, because we never expected it to go this far in Malaysia. So, is this practice wrong? Yes, it is,” LAM president Datuk Azman Md Hashim (pic) told Bernama. 

According to a random survey by the LAM Surveillance and Enforcement Committee, out of hundreds of advertisements offering such services, only one firm was registered under the agency.

Azman said that based on the Architects Act 1967 (Act 117), only those registered with LAM are eligible to offer and provide architectural services, including design and building plan services.

He said registered architects or interior designers are professionals regulated by the Code of Conduct under the Architects Rules 1996.

He added that one of the benefits of hiring a professional architect is to control or monitor payments and claims to contractors based on performance, quality standards and project progress, preventing clients from being cheated.

These professionals also act as project consultants to oversee the project from the planning stage to completion and the issuance of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).

“This practice involves public safety. Therefore, only registered individuals are eligible to provide these services to avoid substandard designs, failure to obtain approval from local authorities, safety weaknesses such as structural design flaws, legal liabilities, abandoned projects and financial losses,” he said.

Azman said that according to the existing code of conduct, there are specific procedures for advertising a professional architect’s services.

“Architects registered with LAM typically do not advertise on social media. We are not saying it is not allowed, but we do not encourage it. Professionally, they also refrain from doing so because our LAM portal allows public access to our services.”

Since 2016 to date, LAM has received 94 complaints involving illegal practices by companies and individuals through physical advertisements and direct appointments by clients, as well as five complaints related to advertising on social media.

The professions registered with LAM, which comes under the Works Ministry, include architects, architect graduates, building draughtsmen, interior designers, interior designer graduates, inspectors of works, and architectural technologists.

Azman explained that the work of fly-by-night architects is usually carried out by unregistered architect graduates and interior designer graduates who are not qualified to apply for planning and building plans.

“Their involvement usually occurs in two ways: either the contractors hire them or the clients appoint them directly. Both scenarios aim to ensure the fees or charges for these fly-by-night architects are kept to a minimum,” he said.

However, there are also instances where fly-by-night architects collude with professional architects to gain “credibility”.

“What are the consequences if our house project becomes illegal? The effects are that the house cannot be insured, the quality of completion cannot be assured, and it can endanger the safety of the occupants. Additionally, the CCC cannot be issued because the proper procedures were not followed.”

He said any professional architect registered with LAM can face disciplinary action or fines if they violate the Architects Act 1967, including collaborating with fly-by-night architects.

“One of our main roles is to protect the public. If anything happens, we will take action against our members because we safeguard the public. This is enshrined in Act 117,” he said.

Fly-by-night architects, according to Azman, are in a different situation because they are not subject to any agreements or regulatory bodies, making it impossible to take legal action against them.

However, he said LAM has a Surveillance and Enforcement Committee, which is also represented by police officers, to monitor these irresponsible activities if they are advertised on social media.

Admitting there are gaps that allow fly-by-night architects to thrive, Azman said stricter measures need to be introduced.

Educating the public about the correct methods and procedures for building houses on their land must be ongoing to prevent more people from falling victim, he said.

To achieve this, LAM is developing a system in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Architects and the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers to provide guidelines for members of the public on the proper procedures for building or renovating their homes.

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