Professional Footballers' Association CEO Gordon Taylor has promised that the organization "is willing to deliver ground-breaking research into dementia among former players, although campaigners have immediately warned that any new study will only be credible if it is independent." In what is "potentially a major step forward," Taylor said that there had been a hope that FIFA "would lead on the issue," but that his organization is "ready to provide funds to answer whether footballers are suffering disproportionately with degenerative brain disease." Asked whether the PFA was "willing to lead the research if other stakeholders do not step up," Taylor said, “That is our commitment. ... If FIFA are not going to do it, we have got to start taking a lead. Research is fundamental to enable the authorities to be more specific with regards to safeguarding and warnings" (London TELEGRAPH, 6/1).
The World Anti-Doping Agency's incoming Dir General Olivier Niggli "called for more money in the fight against sports cheats" and revealed its investigation into what has been called a Russian state-sponsored doping program cost $1.5M. Niggli, who takes up his position on July 1, told a conference in Doha that "the battle against doping is being hampered by a lack of funding." Niggli: "We are being asked to do more investigations ... that needs to be funded one way or another. You cannot ask that to be funded with the same budget that we had 10 years ago" (AFP, 5/31).
The Tennis Integrity Unit announced on Tuesday that "no evidence of corruption was found after a probe into a mixed doubles match at this year’s Australian Open that had reportedly attracted suspicious betting patterns." TIU spokesperson Mark Harrison said, "While details of the investigation will remain confidential, no evidence of corrupt activity has been identified and no further action will be taken against any player involved in the match." The investigation "was prompted by a first-round match in which Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova beat David Marrero and Lara Arruabarrena" (London GUARDIAN, 5/31).
