Bermuda has been removed from the World Anti-Doping Association’s compliance watchlist.

The island was placed on the list in September after being found to be noncompliant with the Wada Code.

Wada requested the Bermuda Sports Anti-Doping Agency to comprehensively review the Anti-Doping in Sport Act, aiming to align it with its code, which serves as a fundamental document establishing the framework for anti-doping policies, rules and regulations globally across sports organisations and public authorities.

After BSADA’s submission of recommended amendments to the Act, the Government approved all of them.

“I am delighted to announce that we have received confirmation that the Compliance Review Committee thoroughly reviewed the case in light of recent developments,” Owen Darrell, the sports minister, said.

“They have determined that the crucial corrective action related to adopting new legislation should now be considered successfully completed.

“They observed that the compliance procedure has been officially concluded due to these outcomes and BSADA has successfully exited the ‘watchlist’, accomplishing this outcome within the designated timelines.

“The Bermuda Government remains steadfast in its support of BSADA’s testing regimen. We are committed to collaborating closely with Wada, Bermuda’s athletes, and sporting clubs to combat doping and safeguard the rights and wellbeing of our athletes.”

Bermuda ran the risk of not being allowed to fly its flag at this year’s Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, after being found to be noncompliant.

At a Wada executive committee meeting held in Shanghai in September, the organisation’s executive board agreed to follow a recommendation from its Compliance Review Committee to declare Bermuda’s national anti-doping authority as noncompliant owing to a failure to appropriately implement the Wada Code into its legal system.

As a result, representatives of BSADA, as well as the island itself, faced a number of consequences, including not being awarded the right to host regional, continental and world championships or events run by major organisations, while the Bermuda flag would not have been permitted to be flown at those events.

The island was granted a stay of execution when its status was upgraded a week before the start of the Pan Am Games, with the island being placed on the Wada watchlist and given four months to abide by the Wada Code and enact the required legislation after draft documentation was submitted detailing intended amendments.

The ruling came as a relief to the Bermuda Olympic Association and the 11 athletes who represented the island in Santiago between October 20 and November 5.