President of the International Federation of Aquatic Sports: The Importance of Protecting the Autonomy and Integrity of Sport - Sarmad

The President of World Aquatics, Hussain Al-Musallam, visited the headquarters of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Montreal, Canada, where he met with WADA President Witold Bańka and CEO Olivier Niggli on August 19, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation and joint coordination to protect sport and athletes and to uphold the principles of integrity and fairness.

The meeting discussed areas of collaboration between World Aquatics and WADA, particularly in light of recent amendments and developments in the Agency’s regulatory frameworks and rules.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that all athletes are subject to anti-doping testing in a fair, equal, and non-discriminatory manner, emphasizing the importance of having testing conducted by independent, neutral, and internationally recognized bodies, thereby enhancing trust, transparency, and justice in the anti-doping system.

The President of World Aquatics expressed his appreciation to Witold Bańka and Olivier Niggli for the warm reception, constructive dialogue, and ongoing cooperation in support of clean sport and the protection of athletes.

The World Aquatics President also participated in a meeting of WADA’s Athletes’ Council, which featured an open and constructive dialogue on the future of sport and the evolving challenges facing athletes and the international sports community.

He reiterated World Aquatics’ position of organizing competitions in a manner that ensures fairness, competitive integrity, equal opportunity, and the protection of women’s sport, noting that several international sports organizations and federations have, in recent years, adopted policies and approaches that largely align with the principles established by World Aquatics in 2022.