Pakistan and Uganda challenge WADA listing

MONTREAL: The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday the removal of Uruguay from its compliance watchlist while Pakistan and Uganda vowed to fight accusations of code violations.

All three were put on WADA’s watchlist in September 2024 over “outstanding non-conformities” to the agency’s updated anti-doping code. Some of the states’ legislation was also alleged to be in conflict with those rules.

In a statement, WADA said Uruguay’s national anti-doping organization provided information and documentation that showed “critical corrective actions had now been corrected in full.”

The Olympic committees of Pakistan and Uganda, meanwhile, notified WADA they plan to “dispute the allegations of non-compliance against them, as well as the proposed consequences, and the conditions of reinstatement,” the global anti-doping body said.

The two cases would be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for consideration “in due course.” No penalties will be imposed until the court rules.There are currently four signatories to WADA’s code that are non-compliant: Cameroon and Russia, the International Federation of Basque Pelota and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

Sanctions bar non-compliant nations or organizations from hosting major sporting events and from flying their flag at sporting events.