Outgoing WADA President and BWF Honorary Life Vice President Sir Craig Reedie was honoured at WADA’s fifth World Conference on Doping in Sport which drew to a close in Poland yesterday.
Hosted at the International Congress Centre in Katowice, Poland, the conference bought together representatives from the Sport Industry, Governments and National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations to unveil the World Anti-Doping Code 2021 and eight international Standards.
It also saw two former athletes elected as the new President and Vice President of WADA when they officially take office on 1 January 2020.
WADA’s Foundation Board elected former elite runner and Poland’s Minister for Sport and Tourism, Witold Bańka, as the next WADA President and double Olympic gold medallist in short-track speed skating, Yang Yang, as Vice President.
Founding President Richard Pound, who led WADA from its inception in 1999 until 2007, paid tribute to the outgoing Reedie, declaring: “Sir Craig is someone who has given up his time and experience voluntarily over many years.
“He has led WADA for six years and at the end of Craig’s tenure, WADA is a better organisation than it was when he took office.
“We have a stronger regulatory framework, a world-class intelligence and investigations operation, we are funding scientific research and development and we have a significantly increased budget.
“Craig should take satisfaction that he leaves a stronger WADA than he inherited, and I think we should all thank him for that,” Pound said.