One national team soccer player has failed a drugs test, Bermuda Football Association confirmed yesterday.

BFA general secretary David Sabir told The Royal Gazette that the unnamed player had "failed the first screening''.

But confusion still surrounds the issue of whether others have tested positive, after a wordy and ambiguous statement released by the BFA yesterday.

The statement, issued by Sabir and BFA president Neville Tyrrell, read: "It was revealed after the entire testing process that certain players were in violation of the policy and were subsequently adjudged to have committed an infraction according to the policy.'' After requests for clarification, Sabir was unable to say whether this meant that more players had failed tests, refused to take them or contravened the rules in another way.

He continued to say merely that some players had committed `infractions''.

Those players, he added, could have their cases heard by the Drug Control Review Panel of the drugs testing body, the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport -- provided they notified the panel by today. The review process will start on Monday.

Sabir stressed that the cases were totally out of the BFA's hands and it was up to the BCDFS to hear them and issue bans when deemed necessary.

Reports by Bermuda Broadcasting Company claiming that several players had failed drugs tests were strenuously denied by Sabir.

And he was also alarmed by the way the broadcast media had named experienced defender Kentoine Jennings in the controversy. The reports even claimed the player had been banned.

But the BFA statement indicated that Jennings could not have been suspended until his case had been heard by a review panel.

The relevant paragraph stated: "According to the policy, every athlete has a right to a hearing, based upon the appropriate circumstances, as specified in the policy and it is this right for the athlete that must be reserved prior to any conclusive decisions regarding their guilt or innocence.'' Sources suggested Jennings might be considering legal action over the TV and radio report.

"This will have no negative impact on our national programme,'' stressed Sabir, looking ahead to the build-up to World Cup qualifiers. "On the contrary, it reaffirms our position that drugs in our programme will not be tolerated.

"It also says that we must continue to emphasise the importance of compliance. And we are proud that there is a nucleus of players wishing to represent Bermuda who have no problem conforming to the policy.'' The BFA statement emphasised that they were supporters of the anti-drugs campaign. It continued: "While it is true that the BFA national team players were subjected to drugs testing, it should come as no surprise to anyone that this is the case.

"The BFA has been conducting drug screenings of all its national team players for over four years on a consistent basis.

"All Bermuda national team players were required to undergo drug screening prior to the games against the Cayman Islands. These tests were conducted according to the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport and administered by the testing agency Benedict Associates.'' DRUGS DGS