PH faces flag ban in Paris Oympics with Wada warning

FILE–The delegation from the Philippines parades during the opening ceremony of the 32nd SEA Games. The country is in danger of not flying the flag unless it complies with the Wada code. –CAMBODIA 2023 PHOTO

The Philippine flag is in danger of not flying in the Paris Olympics and other regional and continental championships unless the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) complies with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) Code.

The Wada, an independent international agency involved in identifying, monitoring and eliminating the use of banned substances by athletes, made the warning in a letter dated Jan. 23 that stressed that the PSC’s noncompliance of the Code. The letter also asked the government sports body to address outstanding non-conformities identified in the Wada Code Compliance Questionnaire.

Notified through the Philippine National Anti-Doping Agency (Phinado) in September last year to comply with the Wada Code, the PSC has failed to respond since.

“Should the outstanding nonconformities not be solved by [Jan. 22] 2024, the Philippines Sports Commission would be automatically alleged as noncompliant by Wada’s Executive Committee,” said the notice, which was signed by Wada Director General Olivier Niggli.

READ: Team PH eyeing to send more athletes to Paris Olympics

The Inquirer tried to get the side of Chair Richard Bachmann of the PSC, which released an official statement late Friday saying it was aware of the possible sanctions and detailed the steps the agency has taken to address matters related to non-compliance with the Wada Code.

“We are fully engaged in a constructive dialogue with WADA, working collectively to address any remaining concerns and to ensure that our national athletes can continue to compete on the global stage with honor and integrity,” the PSC statement read.

A case of an athlete who yielded a positive antidoping result in 2016 but wasn’t notified by the PSC or its antidoping arm is being pinpointed by Wada as one of its infractions.

READ: WADA approves reforms to improve athlete representation

The Montreal-based agency gave the PSC until Feb. 13 to dispute “Wada’s allegation of noncompliance and/or the consequences of noncompliance and/or the reinstatement conditions proposed by Wada.”

“If the PSC does not dispute any of these elements in writing to Wada, within 21 days from the date of this Formal Notice, the allegation of noncompliance will be deemed admitted, the consequences of noncompliance and the reinstatement conditions proposed by Wada will be deemed accepted, and this Formal Notice will automatically become a final decision with immediate effect,” the notice said.

The Wada attached with its notification the consequences of noncompliance and reinstatement conditions by the PSC that includes the banning of the Philippine flag in all major international competitions.