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WADA Foundation Board re-elects independent President Witold Bańka and Vice-President Yang Yang for final three-year term

witold banka yang yang

Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Foundation Board (Board) re-elected independent President, Witold Bańka, 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. 

In their virtual addresses to the Board and media in attendance following the election, Mr. Bańka and Ms. Yang thanked the Board members for their support, looked back on their tenure to date and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the global anti-doping system during their final term. 

President Bańka said: “I am deeply honored by the Foundation Board’s continued trust in me and in the leadership team of the World Anti-Doping Agency. 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. 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. 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 Vice-President Yang Yang also expressed her gratitude for the Board’s confidence and reiterated her commitment to spearheading WADA’s increased emphasis on education and the role of athletes in charting the course for the future of anti-doping. 

She said: “Serving as Vice-President of the World Anti-Doping Agency has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I enter this final term determined and fully committed to continuing the meaningful work we do each and every day. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend another term alongside President Bańka and look forward to devoting the next three and a half years to completing the work we started in 2020.  

“Over our first two terms, WADA has made significant strides in education and athlete relations. Today, education is a pillar of the anti-doping system, and WADA has fully embraced the shift towards being an athlete-centered organization following its 2022 Governance Reforms. Athletes are a permanent fixture around the decision-making table and will continue to play a key role in the advancement of the anti-doping system over the course of our final term.” 

Mr. Bańka and Ms. Yang’s time so far at the helm of WADA, from 2020 to 2025, has been marked by a number of significant achievements, in particular: 

Witold Banka and Yang Yang re-election

Chair of the WADA Athlete Council, Ryan Pini, said: “On behalf of WADA’s Athlete Council, I congratulate Mr. Bańka and Ms. Yang on their re-election. As former elite athletes, they are well placed to identify with athletes and have made it a priority to ensure that WADA becomes a more athlete-centered organization. Their leadership and guidance were critical to the establishment of the Athlete Council in January 2023, and they have consistently carved out time to engage with its members and other athletes from around the world. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that athletes’ voices are heard.” 

President of the Cabo Verde National Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee member, Filomena Fortes, said: “On behalf of the Sport Movement, I would like to congratulate President Witold Bańka and Vice-President Yang Yang for earning a new term at the helm of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Since taking over the leadership of WADA in 2020, they have navigated the Agency through difficult challenges and played a key role in ensuring that the anti-doping programs during the last three Olympic and Paralympic Games were the most robust and comprehensive in history.  

“The Sport Movement commends President Bańka and Vice-President Yang for their strong leadership over the course of the past five and a half years. WADA can count on our full support going forward. We are confident that the President and Vice-President will continue to take the necessary and proper steps to ensure a level playing field for athletes around the world during their final term.” 

One Voice (Public Authorities) Chair and Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, Koji Murofushi, said: “I am pleased to congratulate the President and Vice-President on securing a third term. Over the course of their time leading WADA, they have both made it a priority to engage with the Governments of the world, consistently championing the importance of anti-doping and speaking directly with ministers, officials and heads of state from all over the world. Those discussions have led to meaningful and impactful changes to how anti-doping is structured and prioritized, and athletes around the world are better off for it. Under their leadership, I am confident that collaboration between WADA and all stakeholders, including governments, will be further strengthened over the next three years, reinforcing the global foundation for clean sport and ensuring a level playing field for athletes worldwide.” 

About the roles of Independent President and Vice President 

The President and Vice-President of the Agency’s Board, and Chair and Vice-Chair of the Agency’s Executive Committee (ExCo), play an integral role on both of these key decision-making bodies.  

WADA is composed of a 42-member Board, which is the Agency’s highest policy-making body, and the 16-person ExCo, which is delegated by the Board to manage the running of the Agency, including the performance of activities and the administration of assets. The ExCo is composed of five representatives each from the Sport Movement, including an athlete representative, five representatives from Governments of the world and four independent members, including the President and Vice-President. 

In December 2024, WADA opened the public call for interest for the President and Vice-President for the terms starting in January 2026, outlining the application process. On 31 March 2025, the candidates were announced.