The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has lifted sanctions imposed on its Tunisian counterpart two weeks ago, allowing Tunisia to raise its flag at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
According to France 24, the WADA has decided to lift the sanctions on Tunisia after the Tunisian Anti-Doping Agency “fulfilled its commitments to restore compliance” by aligning its national rules with the global Anti-Doping Code.
The Tunisian agency has been removed from WADA’s non-compliant list with immediate effect following a vote by the WADA Executive Committee.
It is noted that the global agency had imposed sanctions on its Tunisian counterpart due to “its inability to fully implement the 2021 version of the global Anti-Doping Code within its legal framework.”
As a result, Tunisia was barred from hosting global, regional, or continental tournaments and from raising its flag at the Olympic and Paralympic Games until it returns to compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The incident occurred during the Tunisia Masters Championship, organized by the Tunisian Swimming Federation at the Radès Swimming Pool in Tunis, his sparked anger on social media platforms in Tunisia, prompting direct intervention from President Kais Saied, who ordered the dissolution of the Swimming Federation on May 11, dismissing several officials, including the Director-General of the National Anti-Doping Agency.
Some users described the omission of the Tunisian flag at a swimming event in Radès as a “scandal,” demanding accountability for those responsible. In response to the crisis, Tunisian President Kais Saied made a surprise visit to the site, raised the flag, and played the national anthem in the hall. He appeared emotional and teary-eyed, as shown in photos posted by the Tunisian Presidency’s Facebook page.
The Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports stated that the decision came after a meeting chaired by President Kais Saied at the Government Palace in Kasbah, following an unannounced visit he made to the Olympic Pool in Radès. He issued instructions for immediate legal and administrative actions against those responsible. Consequently, the Ministry of Youth and Sports announced the dissolution of the Tunisian Swimming Federation and the appointment of an interim office to manage its affairs, consisting of Mohamed Al-Zaribi as president, and members Maha Al-Zawi, Shaker Belhaj, and Said Al-Wanzarfi.
