US government agrees to pay owed WADA dues

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2004

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States government will pay annual dues owed to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) under a formula revealed here, US National Drug Control Policy director John Walters announced.

The US government's agreement to pay 1.45 million dollars annually to WADA comes six months after a reluctant US government paid 795,280 dollars in 2003 dues following the threat of sanctions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The US government backed off an original commitment of one million dollars to WADA last year, sparking complaints from WADA president Dick Pound about a "lack of interest of the White House" in the global fight against doping.

But the US Government paid up last December at the same time American Scott Burns, deputy...