On Monday, representatives of the World Anti-Doping Agency -WADA- landed in Asunción to promote clean sport during the 2025 Junior Pan American Games. This is the second edition of the event, which brings together more than 4,200 athletes between the ages of 12 and 22, representing 41 countries and competing across 28 sports.

The Athlete Engagement -AE- team and the Major Event Anti-Doping Legacy -MEAL- team from WADA are present in the Paraguayan capital during ASU2025. According to Juan Lauria, Senior Manager of the WADA Latin America and Caribbean Office: “The Athlete Engagement team plays an important role in connecting with the new generation of athletes across the continent, while the MEAL program focuses on capacity-building and supporting the implementation of the anti-doping program.”

Athlete-led program

The AE program aims to raise awareness among participants about the importance of anti-doping and reinforce the message of being part of ‘One Play True Team’. The initiative is athlete-led and supported by the National Anti-Doping Organization -NADO- of Paraguay, which will also receive promotional material and resources to use in future engagement activities.

The athlete-led team includes Adriana Escobar from El Salvador, member of the WADA Athlete Council and rowing bronze medalist at the Central American and Caribbean Games; Susan Egoavil from Peru, member of the Peruvian Volleyball Federation and former professional volleyball player; Makeba Alcide from Saint Lucia, Chair of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission and national record holder in the heptathlon and pentathlon; María José Arrúa from Paraguay, national-level swimmer and NADO ambassador; Mariam Diaby from Canada, Head of Digital Marketing at WADA; and Edna Serra from Uruguay, Office Manager at the WADA Latin America and Caribbean Office.

“We want them to know the tools”

Escobar emphasized the importance of this initiative: “As a member of WADA’s Athlete Council, I am pleased to have the opportunity to connect with young athletes from across the continent at the Junior Pan American Games. The Athlete Engagement program is a powerful mechanism to promote clean sport. We want athletes who stop by to be aware of the anti-doping tools and resources available and to feel comfortable asking us questions.”

WADA’s presence in Asunción is part of a broader strategy that will extend to upcoming major youth events. The Athlete Engagement team will also attend the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in October 2025, the African Youth Games in Angola in December 2025, and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in November 2026.

Building anti-doping structures

In parallel, WADA is implementing the MEAL program, designed to support Anti-Doping Organizations in creating and consolidating structures that ensure the fight against doping at major sporting events. In Asunción, Juan Lauria and Federico Perroni, also representing the WADA Latin America and Caribbean Office, met with the Paraguay National Sport Secretariat, the Paraguay National Olympic Committee, the Paraguay NADO, and government authorities to discuss the upcoming approval of anti-doping legislation in the country.

During their stay, WADA was also represented at the Panam Sports General Assembly held on August 7, reinforcing its commitment to cooperation with sports stakeholders in the region.