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A18 SPORTS
Friday 15 december 2017

Sports unions unveil universal declaration of player rights

By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lead-
ers from the NFL, NBA, NHL
and Major League Baseball
players associations helped
unveil a universal decla-
ration of player rights that
is designed to establish a
new approach to govern-
ing sports and protecting
athletes. Among the 17 ar-
ticles laid out in the decla-
ration are rights to unionize
and collectively bargain,
express opinions freely
and receive equal pay for
equal work. The declara-
tion was made Thursday by
the World Players Associa-
tion, which is affiliated with
100 organizations that rep-
resent 85,000 professional
athletes.
“It will change the con-
tent and the terms under
which sport is regulated,” In this Jan. 29, 2015, file photo, NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith speaks during a news conference for
said Brandon Schwab, the NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game, in Phoenix.
association’s executive Associated Press
director. “And secondly and Tony Clark of the Ma- this process is the men and throatedly support” the Schwab said the declara-
it will change the culture jor League Baseball Play- women who play sports did declaration that seeks to tion came about after sur-
of sport. Sport must now ers Association are part of not choose to give up the provide athletes worldwide veys of thousands of players
be run in partnership with the group of more than 100 basic human rights that we with the type of constitu- and in concert with human
the players and sport must unions that released the would want for every work- tional protections that exist rights experts. Smith said a
act proactively to prevent declaration. er.” The launch of the uni- in the United States. key piece is recognizing
and minimize and address “The importance of the versal declaration of player The World Players Associa- that human rights cannot
any adverse human rights declaration is actually phil- rights comes on the heels tion recently negotiated be ignored because play-
impacts.” Executive direc- osophically bigger than just of Colin Kaepernick and a binding human rights ers put on uniforms.
tors DeMaurice Smith of the issue of collective bar- other NFL players kneeling agreement with FIFA, and “We demand a respect,
the NFL Players Association, gaining,” Smith said as the or sitting during the nation- Schwab said it is in talks with a certain humanity that
Michele Roberts of the Na- NFLPA hosted the gather- al anthem to protest racial the International Olympic comes with who they are
tional Basketball Players As- ing of 40 union representa- inequality and police bru- Committee to amend host- before they decided to do
sociation, Don Fehr of the tives. “It’s reminding every- tality. Roberts said she and ing contracts to add hu- what they decided to do,”
NHL Players’ Association one that where we start in members of the NBPA “full- man rights requirements. Smith said.q

Putin accuses U.S. agencies of manipulating doping testimony

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH negative. It means he’s under the tions which led last week to Rus- criminal investigations against
AP Sports Writer control of American special ser- sian athletes being required to him. The Russian government has
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President vices,” Putin said. “What are they compete under a neutral flag denied it had any involvement in
Vladimir Putin accused U.S. agen- doing with him there? Are they giv- at the upcoming Pyeongchang doping, particularly around the
cies of manipulating evidence ing him some kind of substances Games. Sochi Olympics, which is seen as a
from the main whistleblower on so that he says what’s required?” Rodchenkov said he was ordered key prestige project.
doping at the 2014 Sochi Olym- Putin added that Rodchenkov by the sports ministry to oversee Russian officials have previously
pics. Putin said Thursday that for- should never have been appoint- steroid use by Russian athletes in said they accept some drug use
mer Moscow anti-doping labora- ed to run Moscow’s anti-doping many sports, and to cover up their occurred, but on a much smaller
tory director Grigory Rodchenkov laboratory in the first place. “It doping by falsifying test results scale than alleged, and that Rod-
— who is under witness protection was a mistake on the part of those and swapping dirty samples for chenkov tricked some clean Rus-
after fleeing to the United States who did it, and I know who did it,” clean ones. sian athletes into taking banned
last year — is “under the control” he said, but didn’t name names The IOC’s decision to trust Rod- substances by claiming they were
of the American agencies, includ- or say they should be punished. chenkov’s evidence is “non- legitimate dietary supplements.
ing the FBI. Testimony from Rodchenkov sense,” Putin said, portraying the
Rodchenkov being in the United played a key role in International scientist as mentally unstable and
States “is not a positive for us, it’s a Olympic Committee investiga- referring repeatedly to Russian Continued on Page 22