IF RANDY HORTON can emulate in the House of Assembly his performance on the playing field, then Bermuda's Sports Ministry should be in good hands.

As an athlete, Horton would be considered right up there among the Island's all-time greats.

Should a local Sports Hall of Fame ever be established _ and goodness knows the idea has been mooted enough times _ then Randy would be near the front of the queue when it came to potential inductees.

As a professional footballer he made his mark in the North American Soccer League, even garnering the league's MVP award during his spell with New York Cosmos, and as cricketer he was an influential leader of Somerset's Cup Match team as well as a fearsome fast bowler.

Those who played with and against him will remember a fierce competitor who didn't care much for losing and went to extraordinary lengths to ensure it never became a habit.

A little more finesse may be required as he faces his newest challenge in life.

But few figures in the political arena are as familiar with the Island's sporting scene as Horton, or as cognisant of the problems. And it's perhaps surprising his promotion to head this particular ministry has taken as long as it has.

Yet with his appointment in the Cabinet shuffle this week came a downside.

Besides the Sports Ministry, Horton was handed responsibility for Community Affairs, Cultural Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Human Rights, Race Relations and the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality.

How on earth he can effectively and efficiently juggle all of those portfolios remains to be seen.

Not for the first time, it would appear that Government has given sports a relatively low priority.

In that respect, Premier Jennifer Smith is no different from many of her predecessors.

Among a population of 60,000, it's probably fair to assume that as many as half engage in some sort of sporting activity.

In an age when the benefits of health and exercise are continually drummed home, sport has become the avenue through which we can attain our fitness goals.

Yet successive Governments have always given the impression that they couldn't care less.

While the National Sports Centre is finally taking shape, it's taken more than 20 years to get where it is now, and it's still far from complete.

Elsewhere, club facilities, for both cricket and soccer in particular, are woefully inadequate. Hockey is still awaiting its first astro-turf pitch, rugby has no permanent home, and motorsports find itself in a similar dilemma.

Admittedly, Government can't pander to every individual sport, but it can use its resources to help promote and develop.

These and any number of other issues will fall under Horton's umbrella during the coming months.

With so much else on his plate, it will be interesting to see how he copes.

- ADRIAN ROBSON