GENEVA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The International Testing Agency (ITA) on Tuesday acknowledged the decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the conduct of Hasan Akkus, former International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) vice-president.

The CAS confirmed on January 18, 2024, that "Mr. Akkus engaged in improper conduct", saying that the "conduct was deceptive and reprehensible, and in any event prone to create severe damage to the federations which had entrusted him with top-level positions and the power to represent them in public."

The Anti-Doping Division of the CAS (CAS ADD) ruled on January 3, 2023, that Akkus, who was also president of the Turkish Weightlifting Federation (TWF) and European Weightlifting Federation (EWF), was sanctioned with a four-year period of Ineligibility.

Akkus was found to have tampered with the result management of 21 anti-doping rule violations committed by Turkish weightlifters in 2013, by providing false documents and therefore avoided sanctions against the TWF which he presided at that time. Akkus appealed the CAS ADD decision before the CAS appeal division.

ITA said it also welcomes the IWF's decision to challenge the CAS decision before the Swiss Federal Tribunal.