WADA plays important role in Korea Anti-Doping Agency’s International Anti-Doping Seminar on collaboration

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was pleased to play a central role during the 2022 Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) Seminar for Asia and Oceania, which is being held this week (28-29 September) in Busan, South Korea.

The event, which attracted 81 participants from 28 nations across Asia and Oceania, was held with the purpose of contributing to capacity building in the region through the sharing of information and best practice. It was an important opportunity for the anti-doping community in that part of the world to gather, build relationships and discuss clean sport issues of mutual interest.

Under the theme ‘Spreading the Values of Sport through the Cooperation of Anti-Doping Organizations’, the seminar opened with a welcome address from Dr. Younghee Lee, President of KADA, and then featured a keynote speech by WADA’s President, Witold Bańka.

In his speech, Mr. Bańka thanked KADA for hosting the event and stressed that only through the cooperation and collaboration of all clean sport partners could WADA achieve its mission of leading a global movement towards doping-free sport.

Mr. Bańka said: “This meeting is extremely important in building a strong global anti-doping community. WADA is here to help in every way we can, but no single body can do it on its own. It requires cooperation from all concerned. This is this same philosophy that led to WADA’s creation 23 years ago, and it remains true today. If we work together as one, we can achieve anything. Joint initiatives between WADA, KADA and other organizations in this region will empower athletes and their support personnel. It will give them the tools they need to compete clean, and therefore ‘Play True’, throughout their careers.”

The WADA President thanked the Korean authorities for successfully bidding to host the 2025 World Conference on Doping in Sport in the city of Busan. He also highlighted the KADA Anti-Doping Partnership Program that was announced last week. The initiative is part of a wider Solidarity Program and is being piloted for the first time this year. The goal is to build anti-doping capacity and strengthen collaboration across the Asia region.

He said: “This is exactly the sort of initiative that experienced and better-resourced National Anti-Doping Organizations like KADA should be involved in to make a real difference.”

“There is, of course, still a lot of work ahead of us to protect the dreams of clean athletes. We continue moving forward – always aiming to be ahead of those who would cheat the system. We don’t rely on one or two tools – we are ready to protect sport from all angles, with innovation. With the commitment and dedication of governments, sports, athletes and many other stakeholder groups, including KADA and all the National Anti-Doping Organizations of this region, we can achieve our mission.”

Later on the first day, WADA Vice-President Yang Yang delivered a speech focusing on the importance of education in the protection of clean sport. Having just attended the Global Education Conference in Sydney, Australia, last week, Ms. Yang stressed the importance of the anti-doping community focusing its resources, not just on matters of ‘detection and punishment’, but also on ‘prevention and support’.

She said: “Put simply, education is the single best long-term solution that we have for protecting the values of sport – clean sport. It is a critical component of the global anti-doping system. Of course, testing and investigations are important but they cannot be the only angle of attack. More and more, we are seeing the real results that education delivers in preventing doping and supporting athletes in their efforts to compete clean throughout their careers. We need to strike a balance between these two approaches. This is the new era.”

“We have an obligation to lead by example, taking bold steps to tackle the issues with agility and innovation. We can expand the reach and impact of anti-doping programs by enhancing education across the world. We can engage and collaborate with each other to increase support, unity and understanding. We can raise awareness and shape a clear message that clean sport is the only sport we will accept and celebrate.”

“And all the time we must engage and empower athletes so their anti-doping journey is easier, so they are part of the decision-making process, and so they can build healthy and sustainable careers in sport. This is how they will inspire the next generation of athletes to do the same. Education is the key to this. It is time to put it front and center and take it as seriously as we take other key areas of anti-doping.”

Also, while he was in Korea, Mr. Bańka delivered a lecture on anti-doping and the role of WADA in global sport to students from Pukyong University, Busan, Korea. He also met with the President of the Busan tourist board, Mr. Jungsil Lee, and representatives from the organizing committee of the 2025 World Conference on Doping in Sport.