Tang heads into IAAF storm in Beijing

SINGAPORE — A month ago when Singapore Athletics (SA) president Tang Weng Fei announced he was running for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) treasurer’s seat at its 50th Congress in two weeks’ time, the world body was relatively scandal free.

Then, five days ago, all hell broke loose when British newspaper The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR accused the IAAF of failing to act on suspicious blood tests involving over 800 athletes between 2001 and 2012, including many Olympic and world championship medal winners.

The evidence, according to the British daily, reveals the “extraordinary extent of cheating” by athletes at the world’s biggest events.

It is into this storm that Tang will be heading at the IAAF’s general assembly in Beijing, where elections for a new executive committee for the next four years will be held.

The IAAF has denied the doping claims and if elected, Tang said he will be part of a new committee whose first order of business is to confront the allegations and restore credibility to the sport.

“Transparency in athletics is very important, and there must be zero tolerance to doping,” the oil trader told TODAY. “This is exactly what I’ve emphasised to the athletes and officials in Singapore as well, and I’m glad that the IAAF has taken a similar hardline stand towards this issue.

“But the Exco will definitely have to do something about these doping allegations, because it’s the most critical thing that is facing the IAAF at the moment. The new Exco must start work immediately after the elections but the message that the IAAF will be tough on doping is already out there. Now, it’s time to execute that message.”

He added that so far, South-east Asian athletics has been hit with only one major doping incident involving the Malaysian relay team, with one member testing positive after winning the 4x400m event at the 2011 SEA Games. The team were eventually stripped of their gold medal and the athlete banned for two years.

But Tang warned that the region’s athletics bodies will still have to be vigilant as the doping scourge can hit anywhere.

“In Singapore, especially, we take a very tough stand against doping and have had not encountered any cases before,” the 60-year-old added. “In fact, our new head coach Luis Cunha, who had coached in Portugal for 10 years, said he has never seen such stringent checks on athletes as in Singapore, which are stricter than what he has seen in Europe.”

And Singapore’s contribution in the fight against doping will receive a boost if Tang is elected to the IAAF executive committee, said SA vice-president and former national sprinter C Kunalan.

“So far, we have a clean record with regard to doping in athletics and Weng Fei will be the person who can give us some credibility in the IAAF because everybody is concerned with stamping out doping from the sport,” said the 72-year-old sports veteran.

Standing against Clemens Prokop, Jose Maria Odriozola and Geoff Gardner — the respective presidents of the German, Spanish and Oceania national associations — Tang needs the majority votes from the 214 global membership to secure the IAAF treasurer’s seat.

While that contest can go either way, Tang said 45 Asian federations have assured him of their backing, but insisted he will not be disappointed if the seat eludes him.

Added the SA chief: “The journey has been incredible so far and it’s been a good learning process for me. I’ve got to know more people in the athletics fraternity in my campaigning around the world and I’m more familiar with how the Asian countries work in the sport, so it has been an eye-opening experience.”

The new executive committee will be headed by either Briton Sebastian Coe or Ukraine’s Sergei Bubka, the sitting vice-presidents who are vying for the presidency as incumbent Lamine Diack is stepping down after 16 years.