WADA holds Opening Ceremony for the sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport

Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) held the Opening Ceremony for its sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport in Busan, Republic of Korea, which, from 1-5 December, is convening the anti-doping community for engaging discussions and ushering in a new era for the global anti-doping program. 

The Ceremony included magnificent performances highlighting the flavor of Busan and the Republic of Korea, and featured a keynote speech from WADA President Witold Bańka, who welcomed participants and set the tone for the Conference with a message of collaboration and unity. 

He said: “The sixth World Conference on Doping in Sport represents a landmark moment for the anti-doping and Clean Sport communities. It is evidence of what can be achieved when we work collaboratively. In today’s world, unity feels increasingly fragile – but sport remains a source of hope that still brings people together across borders, cultures, and beliefs. But only clean sport. The value of an athlete is not found in medals, but rather in integrity. Clean sport is not just about fair play – it is about character, resilience, humility, and honesty. It is about dignity. This is why this Conference matters, and why our joint mission matters. 

“This historic event reminds us of the importance of remaining united by responsibility. No matter how complex the world becomes, the values of clean sport will endure – because we cannot let them fail. The World Conference is the first step in reaching the goals we have set together in the years to come to ensure that all athletes are provided with a level playing field, and that the values of clean sport are robustly protected.” 

Participants also had the opportunity to hear from other distinguished guests, including: 

• H.E. Mr. CHAE Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism from the Republic of Korea; 
• Park Heong-joon, Mayor, Busan Metropolitan City; 
• Dr. Yun Jun YANG, President, Korea Anti-Doping Agency; 
• Kirsty Coventry, President, International Olympic Committee; 
• Dr. Koji Murofushi, Chair of WADA’s One Voice Committee; 
• Yang Yang, WADA Vice-President; and 
• Kim Yeon-koung, Conference ambassador and professional volleyball player. 

Earlier in the day, WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) also met to deliberate a number of decisions and make recommendations to the Foundation Board, which will meet on 5 December. The outcomes of the ExCo meeting are outlined here. 

About the World Conference 

Organized with the generous support of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency and the City of Busan, the World Conference is gathering athletes and around 1,500 representatives from the Sport Movement, Governments, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, laboratories, service providers, researchers, and the media – all groups that are part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport. As outlined in the official program, the Conference will conclude on 5 December with the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards being approved by WADA’s Foundation Board and Executive Committee.  

Note to editors:   

Photos from the Opening Ceremony are available here. These rights can be reproduced free for editorial purposes, with the appropriate credit (WADA).