MILAN: The World Anti-Doping Agency called on the United States to pay its overdue membership fees Thursday and rejected Washington’s bipartisan demand to submit to an independent audit.
The US has long sought more transparency from WADA, which has been criticized for its handling of politically sensitive doping cases. A government funding bill signed into law this week restricts payment of the $3.7 million in dues until there’s an independent audit.
WADA President Witold Banka, speaking at a news conference at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, named a list of audits that his watchdog organization is already subject to and said that’s good enough.
“I don’t know any other international organization with such strong auditing mechanisms, so I think there are no obstacles for our friends from US to fulfill their duties and pay the contributions,” he said.
He added: “I think it fulfills the expectations or the wishes from the US side, and the most important thing in principle, the contribution is not conditional. That is the thing which is extremely important for us.”
Sara Carter, the director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, sent a statement to The Associated Press reiterating US President Donald Trump’s strong belief in “supporting US athletes and ensuring fair competition in sports,” along with the drug office’s insistence on the external audit.
“The United States will not be bullied or manipulated into paying dues to WADA until such is achieved,” Carter said.
The US has already withheld dues under Biden in 2024, then again under Trump in 2025 — a rare point of virtually unanimous bipartisan agreement between the US major political parties. The funding spat accelerated after questions emerged about transparency regarding WADA’s clearing of 23 Chinese swimmers after they tested positive for performance enhancers before the Olympics in 2021.
“They should be really careful to go up against the United States Congress,” Rahul Gupta, Carter’s predecessor as drug czar, told AP. “It’s never a good idea to go up against a bipartisan Congress where both sides of the aisle definitely want this to happen.”
The US law restricts the release of the $3.7 million until there’s an audit “by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors” showing that WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation “are operating consistent with their duties.”
WADA statutes say representatives of countries that don’t pay are not eligible to sit on the agency’s top decision-making panels. Gupta was removed from WADA’s executive committee when the US first refused to pay.
“I hope very soon they’re going to pay the contribution and come back to the executive committee as a member,” Banka said.
Banka said WADA’s budget has grown from $36 million when he started in 2020 to approximately $57 million.
“I wish we could have this money, (these) contributions,” he said of the US fees, “but WADA is financially very stable, so this is not the biggest problem.”
The growing impasse comes at a critical juncture as the United States is set to host major international events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
“All of us around the Olympic Movement are trying to work together to come to a resolution of the dispute between WADA and USADA, and we’ve made good progress on that,” said Gene Sykes, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee president and IOC member.
Sykes had a breakfast meeting with WADA leaders this week but declined to give details.
“We understand the disagreements and the issues,” Sykes said.
At Olympics, anti-doping watchdog WADA rejects audit demand and calls on US to pay its overdue fees
https://arab.news/yynfy
At Olympics, anti-doping watchdog WADA rejects audit demand and calls on US to pay its overdue fees
- WADA President Witold Banka said: “I think it fulfills the expectations or the wishes from the US side, and the most important thing in principle, the contribution is not conditional”
- “That is the thing which is extremely important for us”
Nabucco Al-Maury has second crack at glory on Saudi Cup weekend
- French challenger aiming to go one better in the $1.5m Group 1 Al-Mneefah Cup
RIYADH: French raider Nabucco Al-Maury (FR) returns to Riyadh on Feb. 13 hoping to go one better than last year when finishing runner-up to RB Kingmaker (US) in the $1.5-million group one Al-Mneefah Cup, presented by the Ministry of Culture.
Trained in 2025 by Hamad Al-Jehani, the 6-year-old son of Assy (QA) joined the yard of Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte in Mont-de-Marsan last spring where he has continued to thrive.
Although he has not managed to reach the top step of the podium in the last couple of seasons, he has remained consistent. His last run in the group one The President Cup in December in Abu Dhabi, behind local champion HM Alchahine (FR), was particularly eye-catching.
“That was a really good performance,” said the French handler, who will also saddle the mare Lacaro du Croate (FR) in the 2,100-meter turf race.
“I didn’t train Nabucco Al-Maury when he came to Riyadh last year. He arrived in my yard in the spring, and we have progressively worked our way to the top.
“He has improved with each of his runs. His second place behind HM Alchahine was very good. We beat RB Kingmaker quite easily, which we hadn’t done before, so that was a great result.”
The Helal & Tahnon Alalawi-trained RB Kingmaker (US) will again feature amongst his opponents in the Al-Mneefah Cup. “I know that he is in it,” said the trainer.
“We beat him quite easily in Abu Dhabi, but he probably needed that race and we know he runs well in Riyadh.
“Maybe he will transform himself there. And I know that there is the very good mare of Alban de Mieulle, RB Mary Lylah (US), in the field, so we shall see.”
The only French-based trainer with runners in the two events for Purebred Arabians this year, he is also looking forward to saddling the 5-year-old mare Lacaro du Croate in the Al-Mneefah.
A winner of the group one Criterium des Pouliches – Wathba Stallions at La Teste in France last July, she has just made her seasonal reappearance in a conditions race at Pau where she finished second to dual Triple Crown champion Al-Ghadeer (FR).
“It was a good performance,” added the trainer. “She only saw Al-Ghadeer’s behind but that was to be expected. He did his job, she did hers. In fact, she did what we asked her to do.”
With exceptionally heavy rainfalls continuing across the southwest of France, their trainer decided last week to take both contenders to the Pau racecourse for a final blow-out.
“It’s just terrible how much rain we have had. Last weekend I was supposed to go away but then decided, no, I’m taking my horsebox and I’m going to drive to Pau to work them properly.
“Luckily, the jockeys were great and went along with my plan. They enjoyed a good gallop and are in good order.”
While Nabucco Al-Maury and Lacaro du Croate had to brave the difficult weather in France, Moshrif (FR), who is Thomas-Demeaulte’s runner in the $2 million group one Obaiya Arabian Classic, presented by Al-Hammadi Hospitals, has enjoyed the ambient temperatures in Riyadh.
“He has been in Riyadh for a while,” said the trainer. “We took him there for the prep race on Jan. 9, where he finished fifth. I hadn’t worked him a lot since he won his race in Morocco last year, so he wasn’t 100 percent fit yet, but it was still a good performance.”
The 8-year-old is a regular in Riyadh where he was the runner-up to the great Tilal Al-Khalediah in the 2024 running of the Al-Mneefah Cup, but this time he will tackle top-class opposition on dirt.
“He proved when ran in January that he can handle the dirt. He has been in Riyadh since that last run and I went out there 10 days ago to see how he was. He is in good form and I was very happy with him,” added Thomas-Demeaulte.
