Putin: Russia needs to work more closely with intl sporting bodies

MOSCOW, April 14 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia needed to improve its work with international sporting organisations and react promptly to their requests. Putin, in his annual televised phone-in, was referring to a scandal involving a large number of Russian sports people who had tested positive for the banned meldonium substance. He also said he did not think there was a political subtext to the scandal. For HIGHLIGHTS, click on (Reporting by Alexander Winning and Andrew Osborn; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Maria Kiselyova)