'Receiving Congratulations from Around the World': The Prestige of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) Is Remarkable, Chairman Yang Yoon-jun: "The True Beauty of Sports Is..." [On-site in Bangi-dong]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) held a commemorative ceremony to mark its 20th anniversary, declaring a new leap forward. In particular, many officials from various countries around the world attended to sincerely congratulate KADA on its 20th anniversary. This was also a moment that revealed the stature of KADA.

KADA held the 2026 KADA 20th Anniversary Ceremony at the Olympia Hall in the Olympic Parktel in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 10th.

The ceremony was attended by Yang Yoon-jun, Chairman of KADA; Ha Hyeong-ju, President of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation; and Lee Hye-rim, Director of the International Sports Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Additionally, more than 200 people from around the world attended to honor the occasion, including Olivier Niggli, Secretary General of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); Koji Murofushi, WADA Executive Committee member and former Director-General of Japan's Sports Agency; and executives from anti-doping organizations in 25 Asian countries, including the chairmen of the anti-doping committees of Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Chairman Yang Yoon-jun began by saying, "The Korea Anti-Doping Agency has reached its 20th anniversary this year. In the early days of its establishment, doping was a somewhat unfamiliar and difficult topic in sports. I recall that there were many concerns about how to carry out prevention activities regarding this issue."

He continued, "The past 20 years have been a time of fulfilling the mission of upholding fairness in sports and protecting athletes. KADA has continuously strived to ensure that athletes' efforts and sweat are respected. This process was possible not only because of KADA, but also thanks to the communication and cooperation of all of you who have stood by us in your respective positions. Here, I express my deep respect and gratitude to everyone who has dedicated themselves to true sports."

Chairman Yang continued, "The word 'Fair' is derived from an Old English term meaning 'beautiful and good.' Over time, its meaning expanded to encompass 'righteous and just.'" He noted, "Perhaps the true beauty of sports lies here as well. Not victory itself, but victory achieved through legitimate effort and fair competition—that is the beauty of sports that we must protect."

He then stated, "Today is a meaningful starting point where we look back on the footprints of the past 20 years while preparing for a new 20 years. The sports environment is changing rapidly, and threats surrounding doping are becoming increasingly complex. In this rapidly changing environment, KADA aims to leap forward as a more trusted anti-doping professional institutional investor by prioritizing the protection of athletes' health and rights, strengthening prevention activities based on education and science, and enhancing international cooperation."

Finally, Chairman Yang said, "Only when everyone—from the government and sports community present here, to the athletes, coaches, doping control officers, and specialized instructors in the field, experts in medical science, and journalists who widely spread the value of sports—unites their efforts can we realize fair sports. I once again thank everyone who has been with KADA over the past 20 years. For the next 20 years, based on principles and trust, please continue to show your interest and cooperation so that we can uphold the true value of sports and pass it on to the next generation."

On this day, Commissioner Won Yun-jong, who serves as an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency and actively participates in formulating domestic and international anti-doping policies as well as education and promotion, was honored with a Ministerial Award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In addition, a total of seven individuals received awards from the Chairman of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency, including Kim Ho-jun, Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST); doping control officers Lee Young-gil and Kang Sun-young; and anti-doping education instructors Kim Seok-hyun and Yeon A-reum. Following this, KADA declared its vision as "Global Anti-Doping Leaders Opening a Fair Sports Future," vowing to make a new leap that surpasses the past 20 years.

Meanwhile, a special exhibition commemorating the 20th anniversary of KADA's founding has also been prepared. The special exhibition will be held on the first floor of the National Library of Korea from its opening ceremony on the afternoon of the 11th until December 10. Under the theme "Clean Sports: The Darkness of Doping and the Light of Fairness," the exhibition introduces the history of doping and major incidents, while highlighting the activities and achievements of the Korea Anti-Doping Agency in preventing doping.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original