WADA hails Harbin Winter Asiad's emphasis on anti-doping education

HARBIN -- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Vice President Yang Yang and Director General Olivier Niggli spoke highly of the Harbin Asian Winter Games' anti-doping education, particularly for young athletes, ahead of the tournament's closure on Friday night.

The Games' anti-doping education area has been open for visitors since February 6, and was designed to help athletes learn about anti-doping in a relaxed atmosphere.

"The anti-doping education area was gorgeous and attractive to young athletes. We will learn from the experience in Harbin and promote the education projects of WADA," said Yang.

Niggli added, "Anti-doping is not just about testing or punishing. It is equally important to prevent. Many athletes had a test for the first time at the Harbin Asian Winter Games, so the event is a very good opportunity to educate."

The OCA authorized the International Testing Agency (ITA) to conduct testing, while the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) took charge of collecting samples and sending them to the testing laboratory in Beijing.

According to sporting event tradition, WADA acts as an independent observer to oversee anti-doping testing activities during the Games. "WADA's main responsibility is to coordinate the anti-doping efforts worldwide, setting standards and policies," Yang added.

"Anti-doping testing is a key approach to ensure justice in sports, and the fairness of testing itself should also be emphasized," Yang said. "In specific, the number of athletes' samples from various teams should be balanced, which is an important manifestation of fairness."