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WADA holds first Athlete Representation Project meeting in Latin America and the Caribbean

Conference of Parties

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recently held the first official meeting of its Athlete Representation Pilot Project in Latin America and the Caribbean, an initiative which aims to strengthen and legitimize athlete representation in anti-doping governance across the region. 

The project, launched in late 2024 and spearheaded by WADA’s Latin America and Caribbean Office, held the inaugural session in November and will work to ensure that athlete voices are meaningfully integrated into the governance structures of National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) throughout the region. The first session was led by the Director of WADA’s Latin America and Caribbean Office, Francisco León, and WADA’s Director of Athlete Engagement, Karine Henrie, who welcomed participants and shared insights on WADA’s Athlete Engagement activities.  

The session welcomed newly appointed athlete representatives from four NADOs, namely: 

  • Argentina (Comisión Nacional Antidopaje): Federico Gil (shooting) and Mauro Depérgola (para table tennis); 
  • Bahamas (Bahamas Antidoping Commission): Andretti Bain (athletics); 
  • Dominican Republic (Asociación Nacional Antidopaje República Dominicana): Leidi Germán (judo) and Rubén Salomón (karate); and 
  • Perú (Organización Nacional Antidopaje): Susan Egoavil (volleyball). 

Mr. León said: “We are encouraged by the level of engagement and commitment shown by the athlete representatives of Latin America and the Caribbean, who joined us for the inaugural session of the Athlete Representation Pilot Project. As pioneers, these representatives will play a vital role in amplifying the athletes’ voices within the regional anti-doping movement. We look forward to continuing to work with them in the months and years to come to build out this project and continue to strengthen athlete representation across Latin America and the Caribbean.” 

During the meeting, athletes shared their experiences and expressed strong interest in collaborating with WADA’s Athlete Council to champion clean sport in their respective countries. The initiative will be expanded further next year, with several more athlete representatives to be nominated to participate by the second quarter of 2026. 

Ms. Egoavil said: “We are appreciative of the invitation extended by the World Anti-Doping Agency to participate in the inaugural session of this important project. WADA has continued to take impactful steps to ensure that athletes’ voices are prioritized, and we are excited to see the tangible impact this project will have on athlete representation in Latin America and the Caribbean in the near future.” 

Mr. León also presented the project roadmap and desired outcomes last week to the Athlete Council during a meeting at the World Conference on Doping in Sport, which took place in Busan, Republic of Korea.