Drug testing will be implemented in the second season of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL), SLFA President Lyndon Cooper announced on Saturday during an anti-doping workshop for the national Under-17 women’s team.
The workshop, part of FIFA’s Compliance Programme, marks the beginning of the association’s broader campaign against doping and match manipulation in keeping with the FIFA Compliance Programme. Cooper said similar sessions will be held for all national teams in 2025, with testing set to debut in the upcoming SPFL season.
“What we basically want to do is to begin to educate all the players on what is doping and what is good and what is bad when it comes to the consumption of any item,” he said.
Women’s football coordinator Examin Philbert introduced the programme at the SLFA headquarters in La Clery, while national anti-doping officers Gregory Lubin and Shirley-Ann Cornelia Lubin conducted the one-day workshop for 16 youth squad members.
Cooper emphasised the importance of integrity in sport, telling the players, “Cheating is wrong in football—and doping is a form of cheating.”
Participants were reminded that they bear full responsibility for any banned substances in their systems. According to the Athlete Integrity Unit, anti-doping efforts aim to uphold fair competition, respect for rules, and the global value of clean sport.
The introduction of anti-doping protocols in the SPFL represents a major step in raising the league’s standards. It will also better prepare players for international competitions and overseas leagues, where such measures are standard practice.
