North Korea is capable of evoking strong sentiments every time it is mentioned, no matter the context. The Asian Paralympic Games have been no different, especially since the North Koreans have now withdrawn from the event. North Korea claims that they had been disrespected and therefore felt the need to withdraw from participation. But what happened that forced the country’s hand?

See, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) called out the country for having a noncompliant anti-doping agency. declared the country’s anti-doping agency non-compliant. This led to further escalations down the order, which further resulted in the North Korean contingent pulling out of the competition.

WADA Took the Call off Banning the Flag

According to reports, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had initially allowed the team to participate in the event with their national flag. However, WADA stepped in, and subsequently the flag was banned. This resulted in the athletes of North Korea joining their administration and deciding not to participate in the event.

North Korea’s anti-doping agency has been struggling since October 2021. But the flag ban and then the contingent pulling out of the prestigious competition have made people talk. Insidethegames, shared some of the feelings of the North Korean athletes after getting banned.

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“They took this decision after they were informed by the Asian Paralympic Committee that, as stipulated by WADA, the country flag of DPRK would not appear at any venues during the Asian Para Games as DPRK is non-compliant with the WADA code.

“Whilst we are sorry that their athletes won’t be in Hangzhou, the Asian Paralympic Committee is a signatory to the WADA code and therefore needs to implement their rulings.”

However, after this ban, the country is trying to make changes in its testing. Previously, no foreign testers were allowed to carry out tests on the athletes. Now the country has opened up to foreign visitors from different anti-doping agencies to carry out the tests. It’s a decision that will benefit North Korean athletes in the future.

A Force to Reckon With in the Games

North Korea looked to participate for the first time after COVID in the 2022 Paralympic Asian Games. They had previously participated in the 2018 edition in Jakarta and Palembang. Their team is considered to be one of the most improved nations in the games. In 2018, they had finished 11th all over and won 11 gold medals, 18 silvers, and 10 bronzes.

Their medal tally included 6 gold medals in weightlifting. All six weightlifters had created a world record that year. However, their athletes won’t have the opportunity to improve those numbers this time around.

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