HOUSTON, Texas — Reggae Boyz team doctor, Derrick McDowell has warned players not to drink water from bottles with broken seals.

This was prompted after several bottles of the hydration fluid provided by the organisers here at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup tournament were found with broken seals.

Out of an abundance of caution, Dr McDowell reported the matter at Thursday’s technical meeting but was told the issue might have arisen from pressure on the pallets with the bottles of water during transportation and possibly storage, but that the supply would be replaced.

“The seals on the water bottles have been broken and it’s a red flag to me. And we have to be careful because in this era of anti-doping, whatever is found in the athlete’s body is the athlete’s responsibility, so therefore water bottles with the seal broken means a red flag — and I’ve warned the athletes not to drink water from those bottles,” Dr McDowell told the Jamaica Observer.

He added: “I will be seeking advice from Dr Guyan Arscott, the head of the JFF Medical Committee, as to the way forward and in terms of what we should do and how we should manage that situation in terms of reporting it.”

It is understood that the supply of water has since been replaced.

— Ian Burnett