The Puerto Rico Baseball Federation (FBPR) has formed an alliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for the 2024 Double-A Superior Baseball League season.
The initiative - the first to be implemented between WADA and a sports federation in Puerto Rico - was presented by National Federation President Dr Jose Quiles and the Executive Director, Efrain Williams, who the Executive Committee of the FBPR unanimously supported. It followed meetings between Quiles and Williams and the president of the Puerto Rico Anti-Doping Organization (PRADO), Dr David Bahamundi and the results management manager Andres Santos Ortiz.
“Beginning 2024, the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation, in conjunction with WADA, will establish a doping control process in the Double-A Superior Baseball League. We want a fair game, and all players in our tournament are playing in their maximum capacity under equal conditions,” Quiles said.
“We are the first federation in Puerto Rico to formalise an alliance like this. We want to build a solid and healthy base for the benefit of the league and the national team. The use of doping substances is contrary to the values of sport and affects the health of athletes,” Quiles added.
As part of the project, from October, FBPR will start the orientation of representatives of the 45 franchises and their members through a link that will be published on the federation's official website. They will conduct 225 tests in the regular phase, 40 in the Carnaval de Campeones stage, 20 in the national semifinal and 10 in the final.
In addition to players, the leaders, coaches and administrative staff of the FBPR will also be evaluated. They will also guide the youth national team players and the Youth Double-A Baseball League members on the scope of prohibited substances.
Quiles explained further that the athletes' results will be sent to the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) to apply sanctions, if necessary.
