(FILES) The offices of the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, on November 11, 2021. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said February 13, 2024 it has referred Nigeria and Venezuela to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over alleged non-compliance of their anti-doping agencies with WADA rules. - AFP pic
(FILES) The offices of the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, on November 11, 2021. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said February 13, 2024 it has referred Nigeria and Venezuela to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over alleged non-compliance of their anti-doping agencies with WADA rules. - AFP pic

LONDON: The World Anti-Doping Agency said it has referred the national anti-doping agencies of Nigeria and Venezuela to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their alleged non-compliance.

The agencies were sanctioned by WADA in November for failing to address "critical requirements".

Both agencies have disputed WADA's allegations.

In a statement yesterday, WADA said it "filed the two separate requests for arbitration with CAS on Feb. 9, 2024... The allegations of non-compliance and the consequences would not take effect until such time as CAS makes its ruling."

The punishments recommended by WADA's Compliance Review Committee state that Nigeria and Venezuela's flags would not be flown at competitions and the nations would be ineligible to host major sporting events until reinstatement conditions were met.