Sri Lanka’s Flag Faces Olympic Ban Over Anti-Doping Failures

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s national flag may be barred from flying at major international sporting events—including the Olympic and Paralympic Games—if the country’s anti-doping authority fails to meet reinstatement conditions within the next 12 months, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has warned.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed that, effective 19tgh August the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) of Sri Lanka has been declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code(Code).

This decision follows months of warnings and a missed deadline to implement critical legal reforms.

The move comes from a March 2025 decision by WADA’s Executive Committee to place SLADA on a compliance “watchlist” due to deficiencies in its legal framework.

Despite being granted a four-month extension to rectify the issues, SLADA failed to adopt the necessary amendments by the July deadline.

WADA issued a formal notice of non-compliance on 28 July, which SLADA did not contest—making the decision final and enforceable.

As a result of the ruling:

1. SLADA loses its WADA privileges until reinstatement.

This includes:

a. SLADA Representatives are ineligible to hold any WADA office or any position as a member of any WADA board or committee or other body (including but not limited to membership of WADA’s Foundation Board, ExCo, Standing Committees, and any other committee);

b. SLADA is ineligible to host any event hosted or organized or co-hosted or co-organized by WADA;

c. SLADA is ineligible to participate in any WADA Independent Observer Program, WADA Outreach Program or other WADA activities; and

d. SLADA will not receive any WADA funding (either directly or indirectly) related to the development of specific activities or participation in specific programs.

2. SLADA’s Representatives shall be ineligible to sit as members of the boards or committees or other bodies of any Code Signatory (or its members) or association of Signatories until SLADA is Reinstated.

3. Sri Lanka may not be awarded the right to host regional, continental or world championships, as well as other events organized by Major Event Organizations, until SLADA is Reinstated.

SLADA must satisfy the outstanding critical requirement and comply with all the above-mentioned consequences of non-compliance to be reinstated.

If SLADA has not met the conditions of reinstatement described above within twelve months of the entering into effect of the consequences of non-compliance, (i.e. by midnight EST on 18 August 2026) the following additional consequence shall be automatically imposed:

a. Sri Lanka’s flag will not be flown at regional, continental, or world championships, as well as other events organized by Major Event Organizations (including the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) until SLADA is Reinstated.