The Board also marked a key member transition, welcoming Ms. Dagmawit Girmay Berhane as its new International Olympic Committee (IOC) Representative. Ms. Berhane succeeds Professor Uğur Erdener, who has served in this role since the ITA’s founding. A prominent figure in international sports and public health services, Ms. Berhane has been named one of the 100 Most Influential African Women Leaders in 2023. Ms. Berhane has served as the president of the Ethiopian Olympic Committee from 2004 to 2008. Currently, she holds senior roles within the IOC, including membership on the Human Rights Advisory Committee and Audit Committee. Her experience in sport governance and policy will further strengthen the ITA’s mission to uphold independence, integrity, and fairness in anti-doping operations. “It is an honour to join the ITA Foundation Board and to contribute to its vital mission of protecting clean sport,” noted Ms. Berhane. “Having served within the Olympic Movement for many years, I deeply value the principles of fairness, respect, and integrity that unite athletes around the world. I look forward to supporting the ITA’s efforts to uphold these values through independent and collaborative anti-doping efforts that athletes can trust.”
The Board expressed its deep gratitude to Professor Uğur Erdener for his enduring support and welcomed Ms. Dagmawit Berhane’s appointment as a signal of continued collaboration and excellence within the Olympic Movement. The Foundation Board of the ITA is composed of four independent Members, among whom the Chair of the Board, Dr. Valérie Fourneyron, and three Members representing the interests of athletes, the IOC and the International Sport Federations. In addition, the World Anti-Doping Agency has one non-voting representative taking part in the Board meetings as an Observer.
Warm congratulations were extended to Ms. Kirsty Coventry on her election as President of the International Olympic Committee, alongside a formal note of thanks to former IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach for his unwavering support of the ITA since its inception in 2018.
In addition, members acknowledged the re-election of Mr. Witold Bańka and Ms. Yang Yang as President and Vice-President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), congratulating them and commending their efforts in strengthening the global fight against doping and wishing them success in their renewed mandates.
The ITA briefed the Board on its contributions to the upcoming 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, which will be adopted at the World Conference on Doping in Sport later this year in Busan, South Korea. Through active participation in the consultation process, the ITA has reinforced key principles of the Code — most notably, the protection of athletes’ rights to participate in doping-free sport and the promotion of health, fairness, and equality. The Board emphasised that no country or international federation should tolerate or legitimise sporting events where doping is permitted or encouraged. A unified global commitment to the Code remains essential to maintaining the integrity of sport.