MOSCOW, October 12 (RAPSI) – The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, adopted in the first reading on Thursday a bill that envisages suspension of sports coaches for violating anti-doping rules.

Currently, a coach working with an athlete of majority age could not be dismissed during investigation into alleged violations.

Under the bill, coaches may be suspended from work for possession, distribution or attempted distribution of prohibited substances or methods, falsification or attempted fabrication in any stage of doping tests. They would face also dismissal for assistance, instigation, collusion or other forms of intended participation in violation of anti-doping rules. All these facts must be proven by relevant anti-doping organizations.

The initiative is aimed to protect athletes’ health. However, the bill stipulates the possibility of setting limits of working practice in physical training and sports for coaches found guilty of violating all-Russian or international anti-doping rules, according to the document’s explanatory note.