LAUSANNE. Switzerland.

Aug 7: In an extraordinary public war of words between two international sports leaders, the head of the International Volleyball Federation has blasted IAAF chief Primo Nebiolo for his comments on doping, reports AP.

Ruben Acosta, the Mexican president of the FIVB, accused Nebiolo. Italian leader of track and field s world governing body, of making "totally false allegations and acting "in bad faith."

Acosta and Nebiolo have been political rivals for years within the Olympic movement, but this week's developments brought the enmity into the public domain for the first time.

In a press release Monday, Nebiolo condemned volleyball, cycling and tennis for allegedly refusing to sign an agreement on doping rules and sanctions drawn up five years ago by the International Olympic Committee.

Acosta fired back at Nebiolo in own press release Wednesday.

"Primo Nebiolo should spend his time wiping out the systematic doping in track and field instead of inventing lies on other sports." Acosta said in a statement released by FIVB headquarters in Lausanne.

“He is in bad faith when he declares that volleyball, together with other sports, refused to sign the convention agreed by the IOC and the other international federations.

"Although doping is almost non-existent in volleyball ... FIVB was the first international federation to join the convention with the IOC. even accepting the international court of arbitration for sport, exclusively concerning appeals on doping control decisions."

Acosta also attacked Nebi-olo’s proposal to hold a worldwide conference on doping, saying Nebiolo would try to use the meeting for his own ends.

“The world meeting called by Nebiolo would lead to an impasse specially if he intends to manipulate it to his advantage as he has on other occasions, rejecting reasonable opinions from other international federations." Acosta said.

"As president of ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations). Nebiolo should follow certain ethical rules and be more prudent when mentioning other international federations than his own. He should also stop taking powers that he was not accorded at any official federation meeting."

IAAF spokesman Giorgio Reinerl said there was no immediate comment from Nebiolo.