The Russian president acknowledged that doping violations took place, but claimed that the scandal was politically motivated.
President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Russia was ready to defend the interests of athletes accused of doping in court, even though it will also cooperate with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the IOC.
Russia has been banned from next year’s Winter Olympics over state-sponsored doping but the International Olympic Committee said Russian athletes would still be able to compete under a neutral flag.
“How will we build up relations with Wada and the IOC? I hope constructively,” Putin said at his annual news conference.
“We will calmly work with them, removing those problems we do have, but of course working to defend the interests of our athletes, including in civil courts,” Putin said.
“I know that many international officials don’t want that, but what can we do? We will be forced to help our athletes to stand up for their honour and dignity in civil courts.”
Putin acknowledged that doping violations took place but claimed that the scandal was politically motivated.
“It’s obvious that the scandal is being blown up in the run-up to Russia’s domestic political calendar,” Putin said, apparently referring to March 2018 presidential elections.
“Whatever they say, I am convinced, I just know that’s the case,” Putin said.
He complained that other countries also had doping problems without prompting the same “political furore.”
Nevertheless he acknowledged Russia’s role, saying “we ourselves are guilty of this, we gave a pretext for this because incidents of the use of doping really have been identified.”
Home, a space that is entirely ours, holds together our entire world. Where our children grow-up, parents grow old and we collect a lifetime of memories, home is a feeling as much as it’s a place. So, what do you do when your home is eyed by miscreants who prowl the neighbourhood night and day, plotting to break in? Here are a few pre-emptive measures you can take to make your home safe from burglars:
Burglars study the neighbourhood to keep a check on the ins and outs of residents and target homes that can be easily accessed. Understanding how the mind of a burglar works might give insights that can be used to ward off such danger. For instance, burglars judge a house by its front doors. A house with a sturdy door, secured by an alarm system or an intimidating lock, doesn’t end up on the burglar’s target list. Upgrade the locks on your doors to the latest technology to leave a strong impression.
Here are the videos of 3 reformed robbers talking about their modus operandi and what discouraged them from robbing a house, to give you some ideas on reinforcing your home.
Whether it’s a dodgy back door, a misaligned window in your parent’s room or the easily accessible balcony of your kid’s room, identify signs of weakness in your home and fix them. Any sign of neglect can give burglars the idea that the house can be easily robbed because of lax internal security.
You don’t need to plant intricate booby traps like the ones in the Home Alone movies, but try to stay one step ahead of thieves. Keep your car keys on your bed-stand in the night so that you can activate the car alarm in case of unwanted visitors. When out on a vacation, convince the burglars that the house is not empty by using smart light bulbs that can be remotely controlled and switched on at night. Make sure that your newspapers don’t pile up in front of the main-door (a clear indication that the house is empty).
Collaborate with your neighbours to increase the lighting around your house and on the street – a well-lit neighbourhood makes it difficult for burglars to get-away, deterring them from targeting the area. Make sure that the police verification of your hired help is done and that he/she is trustworthy.
While many of us take home security for granted, it’s important to be proactive to eliminate even the slight chance of a robbery. As the above videos show, robbers come up with ingenious ways to break in to homes. So, take their advice and invest in a good set of locks to protect your doors. Godrej Locks offer a range of innovative locks that are un-pickable and un-duplicable. To secure your house, see here.
The article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of Godrej Locks and not by the Scroll editorial team.
