WADA bans Russia for four years; Netizens hail the decision, troll President Putin

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) executive meeting in Switzerland, on Monday, December 8, unanimously handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, which means the country will not be able to participate in the upcoming mega event of 2020, the Tokyo Olympics. The ban will also disallow the country from participating in the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup to be held in Qatar. Soon after the ban, netizens across social media platforms hailed WADA's decision and trolled Russian President Vladimir Putin intensively. The decision comes after Russia's Anti Doping Agency was declared non-compliant for manipulating laboratory data handed over to investigators in January 2019. However, athletes who can prove that they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.

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Netizens react to Russia ban

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21 days to challenge WADA ruling

On Monday, WADA stated that Rusada now has 21 days to appeal against the ban and if done, the appeal will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If the challenge is struck down by the CAS, Russia will be banned from all the major sporting events apart from the Euro 2020, which is to be hosted by St Petersburg as UEFA is not defined as a 'major event organisation' with regards to the European football governing body's rulings on anti-doping breachings.

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