Enhanced Games are harmful and have to be stopped, says Wada head | Wada

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has referred to as on the physique’s American counterparts to behave to cease the Enhanced Games, describing the brand new occasion – which permits athletes to take performance-enhancing medication (PEDs) in competitors – as “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.

Witold Banka mentioned the world’s anti-doping regimes needed to be “very united” of their opposition to the Enhanced Games and mentioned the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) had a accountability to push in opposition to it. Banka went on to criticise the anti-doping regime within the US, at a time when the federal government there has withheld essential funding from Wada’s operations.

“Sometimes we don’t know what to say about this ridiculous idea, because from the ethical point of view, from the moral point of view, how is it possible that people come to agree to compete, taking all these prohibited substances?” Banka mentioned. “It’s completely against everything that we are doing. It’s very dangerous. I hope it will not happen, although there are quite important and rich people who are sponsors of this irresponsible event.”

Banka mentioned anti-doping authorities needed to be “very strong” of their opposition to the video games. “We have to be very united,” he mentioned. “We really want our colleagues from the US to do more to make sure that this event will not happen. There are some legal possibilities they can lobby for. Usada have made general comments, but maybe it’s time to try and convince the people who have financed this that it’s dangerous. That’s [Usada’s] role and responsibility because the event is going to take place in Las Vegas.”

The Enhanced Games is scheduled to happen subsequent 12 months at Resorts World in Nevada, with occasions in swimming, athletics and weightlifting. Marketing itself as “pioneering a new era in athletic competition that embraces scientific advancements to push the boundaries of human performance”, it’s backed by funding from an funding group that features Donald Trump Jr.

The occasion has attracted international headlines and opprobrium in equal measure due to its method in direction of PEDs and the $250,000 rewards supplied to athletes for breaking official world information, with $1m on provide in 50m freestyle swimming and 100m dash.

The head of Usada, Travis Tygart, has beforehand referred to as the Enhanced Games “a clown show”, however has additionally been closely important of Wada. In the aftermath of the controversy involving 23 Chinese swimmers, who competed on the Tokyo Olympics regardless of recording constructive drug exams, Tygart mentioned that Wada had “accepted China can play by its own set of rules”. An impartial assessment later discovered no proof of bias in direction of China in Wada’s response. Tygart additionally supported a choice by the US authorities to withhold funding from Wada earlier this 12 months, saying it was “the only right choice to protect athletes’ rights and fair competition”.

Speaking in London on Thursday, Banka mentioned Wada was “very keen” to work with Usada however that “it has to be based on mutual respect”. He then went on to criticise the US anti-doping regime, noting that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) just isn’t a signatory to the world anti-doping c ode.

“When we see anti-doping in US, the problem is that this is far from perfect system,” Banka mentioned. “Almost 90% of US athletes are not competing under the world anti-doping code. [Elsewhere] only 308 samples were collected in the six months after the Olympics in 2024. Ask yourself if [the US system] is robust or it requires improvement. Is there a great anti-doping programme in the strongest sporting nation in the world?

“China was a fair decision and was used in the US against Wada to destroy its image,” Banka went on. “This is politicisation. There is zero evidence that there was something wrong on Wada’s side. My wish is that instead of politicisation and attacking us, the time is used to address the gaps and strengthen the anti-doping system in the US.”