Sri Lanka’s suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) this week was due to “procedural challenges” in updating its sports legislation, the country’s anti-doping authority said on Wednesday.
The Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) confirmed that amendments to align the nation’s laws with international standards are already before parliament and are expected to be passed in the coming weeks.
“These are procedural challenges. We will get this done in the next couple of weeks,” said SLADA Director-General Shiromi Pilapitiya, speaking to AFP. “Once it is done, we will be reinstated.”
The proposed amendments aim to expand the list of banned substances and bring Sri Lanka’s anti-doping framework in line with the WADA Code. While the country’s cabinet approved the changes in May, they are still awaiting parliamentary ratification.
Sri Lanka’s existing anti-doping laws were enacted in 2013, and the country was placed on a WADA “watch-list” in March. The suspension, which was made official on Tuesday, came after Sri Lanka failed to address or contest WADA’s concerns.
The suspension makes Sri Lanka only the second WADA signatory currently deemed non-compliant, joining Russia, which has been under long-term sanctions due to systemic doping violations.