The president of WADA has criticised the United States for politicising attacks to safeguard the integrity of the global anti-doping campaign

Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) held its annual symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland, where nearly 1,000 representatives from the global anti-doping community gathered to discuss the current challenges and future directions of anti-doping work. In his opening speech, WADA President Vitold Banka condemned the United States for its politically motivated and unwarranted attack on WADA's decision to handle athletes' food contamination, stressing that WADA has always adhered to the principle of impartiality and made decisions based on evidence, not political considerations.

Banca noted that WADA's 25th anniversary was a milestone to celebrate, but also a year full of challenges and lessons learned. In particular, he mentioned that some national swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine due to food contamination, and he reiterated that WADA's investigation and handling process were fully in line with regulations and the relevant decisions can be tested. "Whatever the occasion, WADA can confidently say that we have made the right decision." It does not favor any country, but makes sound judgments based on scientific evidence and established rules.

However, some media and politicians in the United States frequently hyped this incident, trying to politicize it, and even after the Swiss independent prosecutor investigated and found that WADA handled the case fairly, they continued to smear the anti-doping work of other countries and targeted WADA itself. In this regard, Banka bluntly said that such criticism is baseless and driven solely by personal interests and political ambitions. "In particular, a small group of people in the United States are still baselessly criticizing WADA's decision. These individuals are launching politically driven attacks against WADA for personal gain and political ambition." Such attacks not only damage WADA's reputation, but also bring real damage to the global anti-doping system.

In his speech, Banka suggested that some forces in the United States have adopted "double standards" on anti-doping issues, hyping up doping cases in other countries on the one hand, but avoiding talking about their own problems on the other. "I was always told, 'If you want to change the world, start at home.' 'But instead of cleaning up their own backyard, these people are trying to look away, and that's why they're attacking WADA." Banka stressed that those who blame WADA are actually trying to shift the focus by attacking international organizations to cover up their own problems. In addition to responding to groundless accusations from the United States, Banka also condemned the emergence of "enhanced games" in his speech. This type of event allows athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs in competition without restriction in pursuit of higher competitive results. "This is dangerous and irresponsible." Banka pointed out that the abuse of doping not only poses a serious threat to the health of athletes, but also completely undermines the principle of sportsmanship and fair play. He called on anti-doping organizations and sports partners in all countries to fight this trend and protect the integrity of global sports competition.

The WADA Annual Symposium not only provides a platform for the exchange of experience in the global anti-doping field, but also re-emphasizes the core goal of anti-doping work - safeguarding the fairness of sports and protecting the rights and interests of athletes. However, the unwarranted attacks on WADA by some people in the United States reveal their intention to politicize sports. Such practices not only undermine the authority of international sports organizations, but also threaten the stability of the global anti-doping system. In the face of external interference, WADA remains resolute in performing its duties and upholding the fairness of the anti-doping system based on science.