The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has clarified it cannot ‘ban’ nations that fail to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, after its President, Sir Craig Reedie, said that such a ban may be considered as a future deterrent. As reported by the Sports Integrity Initiative on Tuesday, when asked if the point had been reached where country bans may be necessary in order to enforce change, Reedie (pictured, right) told CNN: “I suspect so. I would want to wait until I see what my expert commission says about this.”

While such a ban may be possible through a coordinated effort with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), WADA has clarified that it doesn’t have the power to ban countries. ’As outlined under Article 23.6 of the Code, the only penalties that the Agency can exercise as it relates to non-compliant signatories are “forfeiture of offices and positions within WADA”’, read a 19 August statement. ‘It has no jurisdiction over potential “Nation Bans”. Under Article 23 of the World Anti-Doping Code, if WADA declares a country non-compliant, this information is reported to the sports movement and UNESCO; and, it is for them to decide on the consequences of non-compliance.  The IOC’s Olympic Charter states that the IOC is “entitled to exclude from the programme any sport, at any time, if the relevant International Federation governing such sport does not comply with the Olympic Charter or the World Anti-Doping Code”.’