The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of Africa’s only laboratory for testing blood and urine samples of athletes for five months while it upgrades its facilities.
In the meantime, samples will be sent to a facility in Qatar for testing.
Lacea Loader, communications director at the University of the Free State, told Reuters the shutdown was planned with WADA to allow the facility to upgrade its equipment and give staff more training, and as such it will not appeal the suspension.
“It was an amicable decision made in conjunction with WADA,” she said. “The facility is expected to re-open once the necessary steps have been taken.”
WADA released a statement saying the suspension covers all anti-doping testing including analyses of urine and blood samples.
“During the period of suspension, samples are required to be transported securely to another WADA-accredited laboratory, ensuring that athletes can have full confidence in continued high quality sample analysis and the wider anti-doping system,” it said in a statement.
The laboratory in its statement said it was not possible to upgrade its services while continuing with its daily work associated with testing samples.
