Australia's Federal Minister for Sport Kate Lundy admitted on Saturday that she thought the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigations "would have proceeded further than they have, as she announced a financial boost for the anti-doping body and the National Integrity of Sport Unit," according to the AAP. Senator Lundy told the Australian Olympic Committee's annual general meeting on Saturday that ASADA and the National Integrity of Sport Unit "would between them receive an additional" A$3.5M ($3.6M) in the upcoming budget. Lundy said, "This funding will ensure ASADA can maintain its current investigative capability and will also fund this expanded role for the National Integrity of Sport Unit." Lundy said that "she was not in a position to estimate when ASADA's investigations" into Australian Football League club Essendon and National Rugby League side Cronulla would finish. Lundy said, "I would have thought that it would have proceeded further than it already has. But I think everyone can read the public reports about the delays that keep occurring and why, and these are not issues within the government's control" (AAP, 5/4).
WHITE COMES CLEAN: The SYDNEY MORNING HERALD reported former pro cyclist Matt White has revealed that "he took performance-enhancing drugs for most of his professional career, saying he became desensitised to the idea of injecting himself after initially feeling rattled." White, who last week announced that "he had completed a backdated six-month suspension from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, admits he only stopped doping in the last year of his racing career because he'd 'had enough.'" The admission last year "cost him his job as director at Australian-owned pro team Orica-GreenEDGE and also his part-time role with the national road team for Cycling Australia" (SMH, 5/6).
