A record number of 12,500 athletes from 45 countries are set to participate at the continental multi-sport event, due to run from Saturday (September 23) until October 8.

WADA is set to work with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and other stakeholders with the aim of "championing its mission for doping-free sport and raise the game for athletes around the world".

An athlete engagement team has been tasked with the responsibility of delivering WADA’s “One Play True Team” campaign to promote clean sport.

China’s Olympic speed skating champion Zhang Hong, a member of the both WADA Athlete Council and the International Olympic Committee, has been named as part of the seven-strong team.

Singaporean diver Jonathan Chan Fan Keng, Indian luger Shiva Keshavan Palankandy, South Korean gymnast Nara Kim and Chinese high jumper Wang Yu have also been included.

They are joined by the United States’ Stacy Spletzer-Jegen, senior manager in athlete engagement for WADA, and Japan’s Mari Miki, Asia/Oceania office coordinator for WADA.

"WADA’s Athlete Engagement team is eager to get to Hangzhou for the 2023 Asian Games," said Zhang.

"The large number of athletes in attendance represents a remarkable opportunity to converse with thousands of competitors and support personnel members from all over the continent.

"This group is diverse, experienced and knowledgeable, and will undoubtedly provide incredible value to the athletes competing at these Games."

WADA will also be running an IO team that will be operated by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on behalf of the OCA with support from CHINADA, International Federations and Hangzhou 2022.

The IO team will observe all aspects of the anti-doping programme such as test distribution planning, the selection of competitors for testing, notification of doping control, sample collection procedures and results management.

Drug Free Sport New Zealand chief executive Nick Paterson has been chosen as the chair of the IO team that also includes France’s Louis Duparc-Portier, India's Saravana Perumal Shanmugam, Singapore’s Merey Tan and Namibia’s Gaby Ahrens.

"Sport plays an important role in everyday life and culture in Asia, and the continent is a key ally in protecting clean sport," WADA President Witold Bańka, is expected to attend the Opening Ceremony of Hangzhou 2022, said.

"With that in mind, WADA is looking forward to collaborating with the OCA, the CHINADA and other stakeholders at this highly anticipated edition of the Asian Games.

"Our athlete engagement team will be on hand to connect with athletes and support personnel. WADA would like to highlight the OCA’s long-standing support of the athlete engagement program who we are pleased to be working closely with once again at these Games.

"Meanwhile, our independent observer team will be monitoring and reporting on the anti-doping process in collaboration with CHINADA; the ITA, who is responsible for implementing the anti-doping program on behalf of the OCA; and, the Local Organising Committee.

"These Games represent an important opportunity for WADA to continue to champion its mission for doping-free sport and raise the game for athletes around the world."

At the last Asian Games in Jakarta Palembang in 2018 a total of nine athletes who competed in the event tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs.

They included Bahrain gold medallists Kemi Adekoya and Hassan Chani.

Adekoya tested positive for an illegal steroid stanozolol in an out-of-competition test in November 2018 and was provisionally suspended.

All of her results achieved after August 24 that were also stripped, including the two gold medals in the 400 metres hurdles and the 4x400m mixed relay at Jakarata Palembang 2018.

Chani, meanwhile, was banned in September 2020 by the Athletics Integrity Unit for four years for blood doping and stripped of his 2018 Asian Games gold medal he had won in the 10,000m.

Other athletes to lose their gold medals for doping were Mongolia's Pürevdorjiin Orkhon, winner of the women's wrestling 62 kilograms freestyle, and Uzbekistan's Kumush Yuldashova, who had triumphed in the women's 78kg in Kurash.

Both tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol.

The last time China hosted the Asian Games at Guangzhou in 2010 there were six positive doping cases. 

The most number of positive cases at an Asian Games at Hiroshima  1994 where 12 athletes were disqualified, leading to the stripping of 15 gold medals.

Of the dozen athletes, 11 were from China, with seven coming from swimming.