Ryan Pini is one of seven latest appointments to the WADA Athlete Council ©Getty Images

Commonwealth Games champion Ryan Pini of Papua New Guinea highlights the final seven members appointed to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete Council.

Pini, who won 100 metres butterfly gold at Melbourne 2006, was chosen by a selection panel for the third group which is "made up by a majority of athletes, to fill skills and diversity gaps."

He is joined by Africa Basketball Championship gold medallist Olumide Oyedeji of Nigeria, Canada's Pan American Games race walk silver medallist Iñaki Gómez and Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winning shooter Gaby Ahrens of Namibia.

El Salvadorean rower Adriana Escobar, Irish Para canoeist Patrick O'Leary and Belgian badminton player Yuhan Tan have also been enlisted.

"On behalf of WADA, I would like to extend our congratulations to the final seven members that have been appointed to the Agency's Athlete Council," said WADA President Witold Bańka.

"The Appointment Panel worked hard to ensure all Group 3 applicants were given careful consideration as regards skills and diversity, with the ultimate goal of having as representative a body as possible.

"We are pleased to share that the Council's members, more than half of which are women, hail from 19 countries from six continents, represent 17 sports, including five Paralympic sports, and come from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds.

On the Athlete Council, WADA President Witold Bańka said the ultimate goal was to have
On the Athlete Council, WADA President Witold Bańka said the ultimate goal was to have "as representative a body as possible" ©Getty Images

"We look forward to working with the Council to Raise the Game for athletes around the world."

The new appointments take the Athlete Council up to its 20-member capacity, following the group one and two selections. 

There were five athletes appointed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee's Athletes' Commissions in group one.

For group two, eight athletes were elected by the Athletes' Commissions of International Federations.

In total, 54 athletes applied to the Council.

Its members are set to meet in person later this year while they are in Lausanne for WADA's Annual Symposium, set to run from March 14 to 15.

In the Swiss city, they will elect a chair and two representatives to sit on the Board.