Russia: - WADA's Independent Commission is too 'emotional' - ARAF Secretary

General Secretary of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF), Mikhail Butov, accused the WADA's Independent Commission of "emotional" thinking and acting during an interview in Moscow, Wednesday. "The press conference [of the Independent Commission] and what has been happening during the last two days is so emotional that it sometimes blocks rational thinking and our statements that many things have not been checked properly and have been done emotionally according to someone's conclusions, conjectures, not always motivated explanations or evidences," Butov stated. The ARAF General-Secretary went on to say that some conclusions of the Independent Commission were reportedly based on "statements made by sportsmen who used doping and were disqualified by the Federation." Moreover, Butov confirmed that ARAF is likely to present a report on Thursday with its own explanations regarding the WADA's accusations of doping fraud in Moscow. "We have to present our own explanations, our own document to the International Association of Athletics Federations. We have to do it tomorrow, and we will manage it," he explained. While speaking on the anti-doping regulations, Butov stressed that they should be revised. "We have to change the doping rules not in order to find a loophole for sportsmen but in order to be sure that these anti-doping rules don't infringe on the personal interests of sportsmen and that they are verifiable and really reflect the situation," he said. Earlier on Monday Russia was accused of having a huge "state-sponsored" doping programme. Former WADA chief Dick Pound led the 11-month investigation which alleges systematic doping cover-ups in Russia and recommends that Russia's track and field athletes be suspended. Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko responding to the allegations, branded WADA's recommendations a "far-fetched conjecture," accusing Pound of using "unverified sources."