WADA, Aug 26 (ABC): World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Witold Banka gave thumbs-up to China’s contribution in the regional anti-doping movement at the second CHINADA international Anti-Doping Symposium organized by China’s anti-doping authority CHINADA here on Thursday.
Themed “Innovation for Clean Sport,” the two-day symposium focused on scientific developments in the anti-doping fight. “I want to thank China for running this symposium. It is a great opportunity to listen to one another, strengthen existing connections, make new ones, and reflect on our role as leaders of the anti-doping movement around the world,” Banka said in his opening remarks. “All this is with the objective of raising the game for athletes and clean sports wherever they happen to be.”
The WADA president called for close cooperation between governments, sports federations, national and regional anti-doping organizations and WADA and stressed the importance of global update of improvement on anti-doping, saying that “If we work together as one, we can achieve anything.” Banka also hailed China’s efforts to promote international cooperation in the region and its role as “an important player” in the global anti-doping campaign. China hosted the first edition of the symposium in 2019, the second WADA Global Education Conference in 2018, and the Asia/Oceania Region Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sport in 2017. “The Chinese Anti-Doping Agency is a key partner for us.
Your influence within the Asia and Oceania region makes you an important player within the global anti-doping community,” Banka noted. “China has played an important cooperative role in developing WADA’s 2020-2024 strategic plan approved by the board in June 2020, advocating for the recent governance reforms, and making important additional financial contributions to the agency’s Foundation Board.” Deputy director of China’s General Administration of Sport Li Yingchuan introduced that China has devoted great efforts to scientific innovation in anti-doping. CHINADA has developed the Anti-Doping Intelligent Management System based on artificial intelligence, big data, and the dried blood spot (DBS) testing method in cooperation with other key partners.
“China will continue to support WADA in the global anti-doping campaign, shoulder its responsibilities and contribute China’s technologies, experience and solutions to the world,” Li concluded. Through a hybrid format that included both online and on-site participants, the symposium attracted about 1,000 people from organizations including WADA, International Testing Agency (ITA), and national and regional anti-doping agencies in Asia and Oceania.