KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced that the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) president Datuk Karim Ibrahim is no longer a serving member of the IAAF council.

According to the official statement at www.iaaf.org, the decision was made by the IAAF Vetting Panel which had found that Karim was not eligible (within the meaning of the IAAF Constitution and IAAF Vetting Rules) to hold office as a Council Member.  

"The IAAF Council has been informed and Mr Ibrahim has appealed this matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"No further comment will be made by the IAAF until the outcome of the appeal has been heard and adjudicated by the CAS,” the statement said.

As reported in the international sports portal, Insidethegames, Karim was accused in a documentary by German public broadcaster ARD in March 2016 of covering up doping practices in Malaysia.

Karim was banned by the MAF for six years in 2012 which he successfully challenged in court after an independent inquiry pinned the blame for two doping scandals on him.

Karim was appointed to the IAAF Council by the Asian Athletics Association in October, 2015. — Bernama