Witold Bańka leads the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation for the next three years ©Getty Images

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced its Executive Committee for 2023 is to expand to 16 members, announcing the first 13 members.

Witold Bańka was re-elected unopposed as President of WADA, with Yang Yang returning as vice-president too.

The Executive Committee size has been increased by two, while the WADA Foundation Board has added four more seats meaning it is now comprised of 38 members.

Joining Bańka and Yang as independent members on the Executive Committee are Italian Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni and Argentina's Patricia Sangenis on three-year terms.

A fifth member is to be announced in March or April, alongside the WADA Athlete Council chair, who is to take a seat at the table too.

Jiří Kejval, the President of the Czech Republic National Olympic Committee, is set to start a term as the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) representative, joining Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) representative and International Equestrian Federation President Ingmar de Vos and Global Association of International Sports Federation member and United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic on the Committee, with this year set to be their last in their terms.

World Archery President Uğur Erdener and Humphrey Kayange Emonyi are still serving their existing terms as International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IOC Athletes Commission representatives.

Finally, Koji Murofushi - the Commissioner of Japan Sports Agency - has joined the Board as the Asia representative.

Minata Samate Cessouma of Africa, Roxana Maracineanu of Europe and Anika Wells of Oceania are continuing their terms, while an Americas representative is still to be announced.

Olle Dahlin is one of the International Federation Presidents added to the WADA Foundation Board ©Getty Images
Olle Dahlin is one of the International Federation Presidents added to the WADA Foundation Board ©Getty Images

International Biathlon Union President Olle Dahlin is among the new additions to the WADA Foundation Board, sitting as an Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AWOIF) representative, while International Table Tennis Federation President Petra Sörling and World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland are the new ASOIF representatives.

Croatian Olympic Committee President Zlatko Matesa takes up the vacant ANOC vacancy, and Ethiopian National Olympic Committee Board member Dagmawit Girmay Berhane and Burundi National Olympic Committee President Lydia Nsekara have been added as IOC representatives.

IOC Athletes Commission chair Emma Terho and India's Abhinav Bindra have been added from the Commission group too.

Of the 18 continental representatives, only three are new additions.

Saudi Arabian Anti-Doping Committee President Mohammed Saleh Al Konbaz and Cho Yong-man, the vice-minister of the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are added in Asia, while Oceania gains Seuula Ioane, the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture in Samoa.