Two footballers from Fiji are to appeal three year doping bans issued by the Fiji Football Association (FFA) by claiming that proper procedures were not followed. Abhay Singh, representing Sala Waqa and Manasa Nawakula, told FBC News that Auztec Medical Labs Ltd., used by the FFA to analyse samples taken from the players, is not accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). 

Auztec Medical Labs Ltd. doesn’t feature on WADA’s list of accredited Laboratories, and WADA specifies that ‘Laboratories that wish to perform the analysis of doping controls for sports under the World Anti-Doping Code must achieve and maintain accreditation from WADA’. 

The FFA told FBC News that it has its own anti-doping policy and WADA policies come into effect in 2021, when the government mandates the Ministry of Youth and Sports to manage anti-doping. The Sports Integrity Initiative contacted the FFA, Singh, and Auztec Medical Labs for clarification yesterday, however has yet to receive any replies.