Final answer:
WADA stands for the World Anti-Doping Agency. It was established in 1999 to enforce anti-doping regulations in sports and followed efforts from organizations like World Athletics and the IOC, which began addressing the issue in 1928 and 1966 respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
WADA stands for the World Anti-Doping Agency. This agency was established in 1999 to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. Before WADA's inception, sports organizations faced significant challenges in combating doping, as advancements in pharmacology outpaced the capability for rigorous testing. However, the history of anti-doping efforts can be traced back to the International Amateur Athletic Federation, now known as World Athletics, which in 1928 became the first international governing body to ban doping, although they lacked the means to effectively test athletes at the time.
The determined effort to create a drug-free sports environment saw subsequent organizations join the cause. FIFA and Union Cycliste Internationale (cycling) started combating doping in 1966, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following suit a year later. The IOC first implemented drug tests at the 1966 European Championships and at the Olympics in 1968. The 1970s marked the era when anabolic steroids became widespread, but once a detection method was developed, they were prohibited by the IOC in 1975, leading to the first Olympic games to test for steroids in Montreal in 1976.