WADA removes Deaf International Basketball Federation from World Anti-Doping Code non-compliant list

Following a vote of its Executive Committee (ExCo) in Paris, France, on 24 November 2021, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has removed the Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF) from the list of Signatories that are non-compliant with the latest version of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) that came into effect on 1 January 2021.

The DIBF was asserted non-compliant by WADA’s ExCo at its meeting of 14 September 2021, and this non-compliance became effective on 7 October 2021 after the DIBF chose not to challenge the assertion, which was based on its failure to implement the 2021 Code within its rules. Since then, the DIBF has implemented the corrective measure required to address its non-compliance, namely the successful incorporation of the 2021 Code into the federation’s rules.

In line with the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories, now that the DIBF has successfully met its obligations to regain compliance, all associated consequences outlined in the original decision have come to an end.

At the same meeting in Paris, the ExCo approved additional reinstatement conditions to the current non-compliance status of the Thailand National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO). To be reinstated, therefore, the Thailand NADO must implement the Code into its national legal system (which was the source of its initial non-compliance) and now complete two outstanding critical corrective actions relating to its testing program, as identified during a WADA compliance audit in December 2020.

Meanwhile, since the September meeting of the ExCo, the NADOs of Greece, Latvia and the Netherlands have been removed from the compliance ‘watchlist’ as they have all resolved their non-conformities that were publicly communicated on 14 September 2021.