'Gladiatorial show' undermines integrity of sports

The "Enhanced Games", which will hold its inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda, is nothing but part of the US-backed publicity campaign against the World Anti-Doping Agency amid high tensions between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the global anti-doping body.

The "Enhanced Games" is meant to be the first event of its kind to support so-called performance-enhancing drugs and not follow the rules of the WADA, according to its founder.

Founded by London-based Australian businessman Aron D'Souza, the event would allow athletes to use "performance-enhancing substances" without being subject to drug tests. According to D'Souza, athletes are entitled to do what they wish with their own bodies, and the International Olympic Committee is "corrupt" and not paying them enough.

Last year, at a conference in Oxford on human enhancement, D'Souza told a crowd of scientists, athletes and investors: "Every great moment in history begins somewhere." The Economist calls him the "brash" brain behind the "doping Olympics", who wants to push forward "human evolution".

It is no coincidence that the initiative was first proposed by the organization bearing the same name of the Games headed by the businessman in December 2024, shortly after the conflict between WADA and USADA over some suspected doping scandals of US athletes was made public, which prompted a bipartisan group of US lawmakers looking for reforms at WADA to reintroduce a bill that would give the White House permanent authority to withhold money from the global drug-fighting agency.

But it was not until the inauguration of the Republican administration that the organization claimed it had secured enough funding for the initiative that had met with fierce opposition from anti-doping agencies worldwide, except USADA, and the international sports community.

In February, the US president's son said that his venture fund 1789 Capital would be involved in an investment round, saying "The Enhanced Games represent the future — real competition, real freedom, and real records being smashed."

The US leader's open endorsement of the initiative proved a turning point accelerating its transformation from an idea into reality. And some athletes have already started taking drugs regularly to enhance their performance for the competition. Australian swimmer and Olympic medalist James Magnussen said in February 2024 that he intends to come out of retirement to compete in the games.

WADA condemned the "Enhanced Games" as "dangerous and irresponsible" on Thursday, a day after the organization announced its inaugural 2026 event in the US.

WADA warns athletes and support personnel who wish to participate in sport regulated by the World Anti-Doping Code, that if they were to take part in the "Enhanced Games", they would risk committing anti-doping rule violations.

"They would also put their reputations on the line, as they would risk forever being associated with doping," WADA said in a statement.

That should be a common voice of all the sensible minds on the matter. As the China Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement on the Games, the global sports community should maintain a consistent position and firmly oppose any attempt to portray doping as so-called scientific advancements.

The "Enhanced Games" is a gimmick where opposition to any attempt to portray doping as so-called scientific advancements and speculators collude to scratch each other's back at the cost of sportsmanship, athletes' health and public integrity.

The muted mouth of USADA over the Games exposes its weakness in the face of powerful interest groups and wealthy sponsors. As China Anti-Doping Agency urged in its statement, the USADA is obliged to abide by the World Anti-Doping Code and international standards, take resolute measures to boycott the event, and maintain the stability, consistency and development of the global anti-doping governance system.