Sports Minister Kenson Casimir says he was not prepared to risk Julien Alfred’s career by pressuring her to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, declaring that an injury in Glasgow could potentially have made it “her last event.”
Casimir broke his silence Monday on the controversy surrounding Saint Lucia’s Olympic medallist and her decision not to compete, weeks after the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC Inc.) publicly expressed disappointment over her absence.
Speaking during the August 10 Pre-Cabinet Press Briefing, Casimir said he would not have intervened to persuade Alfred to compete when the technical team around her had advised otherwise.
“As a former athlete and now minister, I am very weary of stepping in as a minister” and effectively forcing an athlete to participate against the advice of her technical team, Casimir said.
For the minister, the potential consequences went far beyond missing one major championship. He argued that had he encouraged Alfred to compete and she subsequently suffered an injury, he could just as easily have faced criticism for interfering. “Injuries are so funny. It could have been her last event,” he warned.
The controversy erupted after SLOC Inc. issued a statement on July 16 expressing disappointment over Alfred’s non-participation and describing the explanation provided by her management as “rather unfortunate.” The statement came approximately one week before the Commonwealth Games.
Casimir acknowledged that he, too, wanted to see Alfred compete. He said he would have been “the happiest minister” to see the Olympic medallist wearing Saint Lucia’s colours and challenging for gold in the 100m and 200m, but maintained that the decision rested with Alfred and the people advising her.
At the same time, Casimir suggested there are legitimate questions surrounding how the situation was handled, particularly whether Alfred’s management communicated with SLOC Inc. in a timely manner.
He also defended the Olympic Committee’s broader position, noting that its mandate is to showcase Saint Lucia’s strongest athletes internationally. According to Casimir, SLOC Inc.’s position “is not incorrect,” because the country needs Alfred representing Saint Lucia at most major global events.
Rather than viewing the dispute as settled, Casimir described it as “an ongoing conversation,” while indicating that established procedures for selecting athletes to represent Saint Lucia internationally would ultimately be followed.
Despite the disagreement surrounding Glasgow, the Sports Minister expressed optimism that Alfred will continue representing Saint Lucia at major international competitions.
