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Former WADA chief John Fahey passes away

Fahey was the premier of New South Wales from 1992 to 1995. He later went into federal politics and served as a minister in John Howard's cabinet.

John Fahey

Bengaluru, September 12: Former World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief John Fahey, who was an instrumental figure in Sydney winning the rights to host the 2000 Olympics, passed away at the age of 75.

Fahey was the premier of New South Wales from 1992 to 1995. He later went into federal politics and served as a minister in John Howard's cabinet.

He retired from active politics in 2001 shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer, and had one of his lungs removed. Fahey recovered and went on to become WADA's second president, succeeding Dick Pound, serving a five-year period from 2008.

As head of the international anti-doping agency, he established partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry and with law enforcement agencies, including INTERPOL, which increased WADA's ability to identify and detect performance-enhancing substances.

"He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in the complex worlds of politics and sport to his role as president of WADA and, as a bridge-builder, he executed the duties of that position with fairness, diplomacy and integrity," a WADA statement said.

WADA Director General Olivier Niggli described Fahey as a "marvelous president and an outstanding person."

"He had very strong values and always acted in the best interests of WADA and clean sport," Niggli said.

"He felt strongly about making sure that the partnership between all stakeholders worked well for the system and the athletes. He was a true leader, statesman and gentleman, and he'll be greatly missed by everyone who knew him and worked with him at WADA."

New Zealand-born Fahey, a former top-flight rugby league player in Sydney, was also known for his big leap in the air in 1993 when Sydney was confirmed as host of the 2000 Olympics.

"Many of us would remember the celebrations that immediately swept the nation after Sydney was announced as the winner and the image of Mr Fahey jumping for joy at the news," said New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates, who was also a key figure for the Sydney 2000 bid, said, "His drive and commitment was absolutely crucial in Sydney winning the bid and Australia owes him an enormous debt of gratitude for that alone."

(With inputs from Agencies)

Story first published: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 13:00 [IST]
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