KATOWICE, Poland, Nov. 6 -- "The athlete is not the only culprit", said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach as he urged the governments to be more supportive in protecting athletes from doping schemes.

Bach said in a speech on Tuesday at the opening of the fifth World Conference on Doping in Sport slated for November 5-7 here that past experience show athletes' entourage needs to be focused on in doping cases.

"Whether it was the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping system in Russia, or the investigations around "Operation Aderlass", or the most recent allegations against a coach of the former Nike Oregon Project - all these cases, as different as they are, highlight the urgent need to focus much more on the athletes' entourage," said Bach.

"The athlete is not the only culprit. The athlete is supported and sometimes even driven to or forced into doping by a secretive network which may include coaches, agents, dealers, managers, officials from government or sports organizations, doctors, physiotherapists or others.

"We need zero-tolerance for everybody: athletes and entourage," he added.

The World Anti-Doping Code has dedicated a whole Article in sanctions on athletes with anti-doping rule violations and also published a list of athlete support personnel prohibited to cooperate with athletes.

But Bach considered the measures are not enough to punish those who are outside the sports circle and it is where the governments should join in.

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