Wada calls on US for action over 'dangerous' Enhanced Games

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has called on the body’s American counterparts to act to stop the Enhanced Games, describing the new event - which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in competition - as “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.

- Paul MacInnes

Witold Banka said the world’s anti-doping regimes had to be “very united” in their opposition to the Enhanced Games and said the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) had a responsibility to push against it. Banka went on to criticise the anti-doping regime in the US, at a time when the government there has withheld crucial 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 said. “It’s completely against everything 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.”