After hours of concentrating on the ever-growing nexus of problems with which WADA has to deal - the pressing need for expanded future funding, the vexing and divisive Russian doping situation, the state of the Paris anti-doping lab, the plans to re-shape next year's list of banned substances - the assembled representatives exit their scenic cell with a tangible sense of relief.

Some dawdle and chat, picking at the snacks laid out on the edges of the ante-room or judiciously pouring themselves glasses of sparkling water. 

But there is no dallying for Uğur Erdener, who leaves the room at a swift march, preceded by an official informing him that his taxi to the airport has arrived.

The 67-year-old Turkish physician - a professor in ophthalmology at Haceteppe University in Ankara - has a dizzying number of sporting commitments aside from sitting on the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation Board.

Elected a vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Rio Session last year, Erdener also chairs the IOC's Medical and Scientific Commission and is President of the Turkish Olympic Committee.

Last week, he was confirmed as an IOC representative on the newly-formed Independent Testing Authority, which is being formed to take over drugs testing procedures for international sport.

And today he has begun his fourth term as President of World Archery on the eve of the World Championships getting underway in the recently stricken Mexico City.

Deciding whether to go ahead with the World Championship plans following the earthquake which struck Mexico's capital on September 19, killing at least 273 people and causing widespread damage, has been the latest challenge for an unusually, if not uniquely, experienced sports administrator.

"Sport is my passion and I have taken on roles within the community in which I believe I can add the most value and best serve the values that the Olympic Movement represents," Erdener told insidethegames. 

"In my sporting career as in my professional life before, I have always tried to do better, improve things wherever I can and give my very best.

"It can, of course, be challenging to balance the agenda but I hope that I do justice to each and every role I hold."

One such challenge presumably cropped up in the course of the most recent WADA Executive Committee meeting, after which it was announced that WADA had removed alcohol from its banned list. This was a measure which prompted World Archery to express its "disappointment".

Awkward?

"Of course it is important to balance the priorities of the organisations, which sometimes differ, but this is something that any person in a position of responsibility must do," Erdener said. 

"At the end of the day, the mission of everyone in the sports movement is the same.

"We all want to see sport grow, act as a force for peace and development around the world, and inspire generations of people to benefit from participating in sporting activities of all levels."

On the specific subject of alcohol testing, Erdener added: "There was a study conducted in the 1980s that demonstrated alcohol's beneficial effect on archery athletes in competition and World Archery intends to recreate this research using modern methods to validate this hypothesis.

"My role in WADA is to represent the interests of the Olympic Movement as a whole, not just act as President of World Archery.

"The forum for World Archery and WADA to properly discuss the inclusion of alcohol on the banned substance list is through substantiated research.

"In the meantime, the World Archery Executive Board will discuss maintaining the status quo for alcohol testing.

"Both World Archery and WADA want archery to remain a clean sport.

"There is much work being undertaken to improve and protect the integrity of testing and having a substance that affects competition results outside the WADA framework does not help this.

"Nevertheless, we must address the situation pragmatically and that is why World Archery will both conduct the research to prove alcohol's effects and continue to enforce alcohol as a banned substance in competition.

"However, it is a fact that alcohol is the most simple substance to test in the fight to keep a clean sport, and at no significant cost which unfortunately is not the case for other substances on the list."

Equally awkward, on the face of it, is World Archery's critical stance regarding the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) blanket ban of Russian athletes. Erdener is a key member of the body that instigated the concerns over their alleged doping, namely WADA.

Addressing this apparent contradiction, Erdener told insidethegames: "I believe that World Archery took the correct approach with the targeted testing of Russian archery athletes following early reports from WADA and the anti-doping community.

"All three of the eligible Russian women for the Olympics were tested at least three times outside of Russia in the lead up to the Games.

"I do not see a reason as to why they should have been prevented from competing.

"The approach we took was proactive and responsible, and allowed us to both ensure the integrity of the sport at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and protect the rights of the athletes themselves, allowing them to compete without the shadow of suspicion.

"Every federation was in a different position, with different resources - but I believe the course of action that World Archery took was a good one."

Top of Erdener's agenda right now, however, are the World Championships which will take place from tomorrow in an area smashed by a major earthquake less than a month ago. Asked how difficult a decision it was to go ahead, he replied: "Of course, our initial concerns were for the people of Mexico, particularly our archery family there. 

"Following news of the tragic earthquakes, we consulted with the local Organising Committee who, after speaking with the authorities, advised us that the event should go ahead.

"With no increased risk to participants and years of planning having gone into the event, which will culminate in a finals arena in the centre of the city that is open to all, we hope the event will leave a lasting and positive legacy."

The IPC postponed the World Para Swimming and World Para Powerlifting Championships due to take place in Mexico City from September 30 to October 6, but Erdener maintained that circumstances were not the same for World Archery.

"World Archery addressed the situation for the World Archery Championships, but that situation may not have applied to other events," he said.

"The fact that we are an outdoor event, which means more temporary structures and less buildings, which might have suffered structural damage, plays for sure a big role.

"We are very pleased to see that the IPC have now rescheduled its events for later in the year.

"Local Organising Committees are responsible for delivering World Archery events.

"The local Organising Committee we have in Mexico City is extremely experienced, it organised our Archery World Cup Final in 2015 as well as major competitions in many other sports, and is in close contact with the local authorities.

"Our events department is coordinating with the Committee in Mexico City, as it does with every event, and the feedback is that we should look forward to a successful Championships.

"The airport is operational, neither the venues nor hotels suffered any damage.

"And most important of all, the people we are in contact with in Mexico City want us to come."

Tom Dielen, World Archery's secretary general, spoke last month of the hope that the Championships would act as "a positive spectacle of sport and solidarity for the people of Mexico City".

Erdener was happy to amplify this view.

The finals of the Championships are in the Zocala, in the middle of Mexico City, and are free to watch as the World Cup Final in Mexico City was in 2015.

"Our last event there drew over 20,000 spectators and the atmosphere and excitement around the sport was incredible," Erdener said.

"Aside from the event itself, World Archery has been working on a way with some of its partners to contribute to the rebuilding effort in some damaged areas in Mexico City.

"We'd like this event to leave behind something positive long after the last arrows have been shot.

"World Archery will contribute $1 (£0.75/€0.85) for every spectator that visits the finals of the 2017 World Archery Championships in the Zocalo in Mexico City.

"This amount will be matched and supplemented by our partners.

"We have already given an initial cheque of $50,000 (£38,000/€42,000) and expect this figure to rise.

"We hope this small contribution will help rebuild some parts of the city afflicted by the recent terrible natural disasters."

The shape of archery at future Olympics has begun to change following the introduction of the mixed team event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, something which Erdener regards as an important stepping stone.

"The mixed team event was officially introduced to the World Archery Championships six years ago and tested extensively prior to that, including at the two editions of the Youth Olympic Games we've had in Singapore and Nanjing - where feedback was extremely positive, and interest grew from one event to the other," he said.

"It is now a staple format on our international calendar.

"World Archery considered it an excellent addition to the Olympic programme.

"The competition makes use of existing quota structures, existing infrastructure and technology and the existing format - but adds an extra medal event to the sport, while allowing for smaller nations to compete.

"Having one woman and one man compete side-by-side demonstrates the parity between the genders in the sport, embodies the Olympic principles of equity and opportunity and makes for, frankly, exciting viewing."

But how soon does World Archery's President think it will be before compound archery joins recurve in the Olympic programme?

"Both recurve and compound archery have been featured on our Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit since it was launched in 2006, side-by-side and equal in billing," he said. "Since then, both disciplines have been through format changes.

"We added the set system in time for London in 2012 and extended that to cover the team event in 2016.

"And as we have said, in 2020 the mixed team will make its debut.

"Archery in the Olympics continues to receive strong ratings.

"In Rio, archery recorded huge increases in broadcast viewing figures and excellent sport appeal numbers - especially among young people - and we are very happy with its position in the Games.

"To apply for a second discipline to be added would mean that this discipline should add something significant to the programme. There is much more work to be done on the compound competition before it could be proposed.

"We see it as a significant step forward that after the Asian Games, the Pan-American and European Games will also feature compound. We also have a great opportunity in 2021 at the occasion of the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama to showcase compound in the country where it started.

"There is a disparity between competitiveness at the top level between the men's and the women's events; there is a need for greater universality, with currently less nations practicing the bowstyle at the highest level, and we would need to be certain that it adds enough to be considered a viable addition by those who would make the decision.

"And let's not forget that this is not just World Archery. We have to be realistic, too, and consider that the quota places available for all sports at the Games are more likely to decrease than increase.

"There is much in compound's favour, though, including its popularity in the Americas."

Asked how important was the recent NBC television deal in confirming the US as an increasing growth area for World Archery, Erdener said: "The deal highlighted the appetite for the sport in the region, which is something we have been long aware of. 

"A recent study by the Archery Trade Association revealed that there are over 20 million people in the US each year who touch a bow and arrow.

"With the announcement of Los Angeles 2028, our challenge now is to work with our national federation in the USA, and NBC, to leverage the opportunity the Games offers to really boost the domestic profile of the sport.

"Of course, the recently-announced partnership between NBC and the Olympic Channel is another great opportunity for all Olympic sports, and World Archery is proud to be working closely with both organisations.

"As well as our traditional key markets in Europe, Korea and China, studies on interest levels at the Games and our key events have highlighted regions like Malaysia, Indonesia, Latin America and India as potential areas for significant audience growth - and we are working intently to see how we can maximise these potential audiences."