IOC and WADA Leaders Unite Against Doping, Urge End to 'Divisive Politics'

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In a joint call to action, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) counterpart Witold Banka have urged unity in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs. Speaking at WADA's World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan, South Korea, Coventry emphasized the need for collaboration, stating that 'finger-pointing and competing agendas' have hindered progress. The comments come nearly 18 months after WADA was cleared of pro-China bias in an internal investigation. However, the agency faced criticism for not independently investigating a 2021 doping scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers. The US government subsequently withdrew $3.6 million in funding, leading to the removal of US representatives from WADA's executive committee. Coventry and Banka emphasized that the fight against doping should be a collective effort, rather than a source of division. 'There is only one fight that we should be fighting, and that's the fight against doping,' Coventry said. 'But instead, at times, we have been turning on each other. The only people who benefit from this disunity are the drugs cheaters.' Banka echoed Coventry's sentiments, stating that some countries have chosen confrontation over cooperation. 'Anti-doping does not belong to one nation or one personality,' he said. 'We must work together to protect clean athletes and ensure the integrity of sports.' The joint appeal by IOC and WADA leaders underscores the need for international cooperation in the fight against doping, a critical issue in the world of sports.