The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will meet in Astana on November 23-27, around five weeks before a revised World Anti-Doping Code comes into force on January 1, 2027.
WADA is an independent international organization established in 1999 to coordinate and monitor anti-doping rules and policies across global sport.
The meeting also comes ahead of a busy year for international sport in Kazakhstan. Six world championships are scheduled to take place in Astana in 2027: junior short track speed skating, boxing, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, and esports. The packed calendar puts added focus on Kazakhstan’s anti-doping preparations, including testing and coordination with the international federations responsible for each competition.
Kazakhstan’s ties with WADA have expanded over the past twelve months. In March, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabossynov and WADA President Witold Bańka signed a memorandum of understanding in Toruń, Poland, covering cooperation in anti-doping education, prevention, and scientific research. At the time, the two sides also discussed the possibility of holding meetings of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board in Astana in 2027.
Kazakhstan has not been immune to recent high-profile doping cases. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, middleweight boxer Zhanibek Alimkhanuly tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in 2025. The WBO imposed a one-year suspension, while the IBF later stripped him of its middleweight title because the suspension prevented him from meeting his mandatory defense obligation.
