File photograph: Sri Lanka at the 2016 Olympics.
Sri Lanka risks losing the right to fly its flag at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as other major international sporting events, after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) declared the island’s anti-doping authority non-compliant.
Effective 19 August 2025, the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) was stripped of its status under the WADA Code following months of warnings and missed deadlines to introduce critical legal reforms. SLADA had been placed on a compliance “watchlist” in March 2025 over deficiencies in its legal framework.
Despite being granted a four-month extension , the agency failed to adopt the necessary amendments by the July deadline. WADA then issued a formal notice of non-compliance on 28 July, which SLADA did not contest, making the decision final.
The ruling immediately strips SLADA of a series of privileges. Its representatives are barred from holding office within WADA or serving on the boards of other signatories, while the agency is prohibited from hosting or participating in WADA programmes. SLADA will also no longer receive WADA funding, and Sri Lanka cannot host regional, continental, or world championships until it is reinstated.
Crucially, if the agency does not meet the conditions for reinstatement within 12 months, by 18 August 2026, Sri Lanka’s flag will not be permitted at international competitions, including the Olympics and Paralympics.
Sri Lanka now joins Russia as the only countries formally listed as non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.
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