The head of WADA threatened athletes with consequences for participating in the Friendship Games
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The President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Witold Banka, said that participants in the Friendship Games may face “certain consequences” in the future. He recalled that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is still deprived of compliance status.
“We would like to express our concerns in connection with their conduct; we have serious doubts from an anti-doping perspective. <...> The possible participation in these competitions of those who are signatories of the WADA code may have certain consequences, because, as I already said, the Friendship Games do not have an anti-doping policy and a proper program,” Mr. Banka said at a press conference (quoted from TASS).
WADA CEO Olivier Niggli previously statedthat Russia does not have the right to host the Friendship Games due to the lack of compliance status of RUSADA. WADA will not be able to monitor the competition as the AIU, the independent anti-doping body in athletics, will not be involved.
The World Friendship Games will be held from September 15 to 29, 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg. It is planned that about 5.5 thousand athletes will take part in the competition. The total prize fund will be 4.6 billion rubles. The competitive program includes 25 summer sports (Olympic and non-Olympic).
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