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Poland’s Banka reelected for another term as president of World Anti-Doping Agency

Elections for the WADA president and vice president were held on May 29 via an online vote of the organization’s Board of Directors

OTTAWA, May 29. /TASS/. Incumbent President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Banka has been reelected for his third consecutive and final term at the helm of the organization following the voting conference earlier in the day, WADA’s press office said in a statement on Thursday.

"Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Foundation Board reelected independent President, Witold Banka, and Vice-President, Yang Yang, for a third and final three-year term in the top leadership roles of WADA, which will begin on 1 January 2026 and run until the end of 2028," the statement reads.

Elections for the WADA president and vice president were held on May 29 via an online vote of the organization’s Board of Directors.

"I am deeply honored by the Foundation Board’s continued trust in me and in the leadership team of the World Anti-Doping Agency," Banka was quoted as saying by the statement.

"Today’s result reaffirms our shared mission and values. I accept this final three-year term as President of WADA with humility, purpose and a deep sense of responsibility, and I look forward to continuing to do so alongside Yang Yang, who has been an exceptional partner on this journey. Her vision, integrity, and unwavering commitment to clean sport have played a vital role in every major success we’ve achieved together."

"Despite the many challenges we have faced over the past five and a half years, it has also been a period of transformation, of resilience, and of undeniable progress. We look forward to building on the momentum we have created together and to driving even greater success for WADA and the global anti-doping community," the WADA president stated.

"In our final term, we are committed to continue strengthening the global anti-doping system by elevating the athlete experience; expanding the impact of our science, development, compliance and intelligence work and much more," he continued.

"We look forward to working collaboratively with WADA leadership and staff, and our stakeholders around the world, to meet our shared objectives and exceed them - together, transparently and with the sole purpose of protecting clean sport," WADA’s chief added.

Banka, 40, is a former track and field athlete with experience in the World Championships and Summer Olympic Games. He was appointed the Minister of Sports and Tourism of Poland in 2015.

In November 2019, Polish Sports and Tourism Minister Witold Banka was elected the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He assumed his post on January 1, 2020 replacing Britain’s Sir Graig Reedie, who served as the president of WADA for the previous six years.

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