A revised estimate to host the CARIFTA Games next April has seen the cost rising from $500,000 to a whopping $716,000. But Bermuda Track and Field Association are hopeful that any shortfall of cash Government have promised to cover will be kept to a minimum.

According to BTFA president, Judith Simmons, her Marketing and Sponsorship Committee, chaired by Gina Gibbons, have been ?very active? in making presentations to the corporate sector and the public at large. And they remain hopeful that the the full amount can be raised through those avenues.

?Our fund raising endeavour is very active, we have to wait and see what comes out of the presentations that are being made to the corporate and business sector and the public,? said the president.

?I am not going to make any predictions as to what we will or won?t get, we are just hopeful that at the end of the day when we are finished all of the campaigning that we will have sufficient funds to cover all of the cost.?

Simmons explained that the original estimate of $500,000 was floated after they returned from the Bahamas in 2002 when the bid to host the event was submitted.

She said that since the formal written submission had to be presented when the Bermuda contingent (including then Sports Minister Randy Horton) returned home it was difficult to be exact.

?Because it had to be done in a very short time we put together a very hasty budget and there were a lot of question marks in that budget because we didn?t have the cost of some things at the time,? recalled Simmons.

?But since then we have done a more thorough one that includes all of the packages.?

It was only two weeks? ago that new Sports Minister Dale Butler publicly backed the BTFA and their financial plans for the event, the minister saying he was satisfied with their presentation and the direction in which their planning was heading.

?They are doing an excellent job, we have had good talks with the BTFA. I have ironed out all of the things ? financial, accommodation and things to do with the National Stadium,? said the minister at the time.

He added that the BTFA were aiming to raise a certain amount of the money and that Government ?will be making up part of the difference?.

Government made a commitment to lend assistance should there be any shortfall in raising financial support some time ago, reminded Simmons.

She noted that Horton had to give that commitment when Bermuda made its bid in the Bahamas.

?Yes, our Government had to agree to make up for any such shortfall, that is part and parcel of a bid to host the event. These are some of the rules that are mandated by the IAAF (world governing body) in order for any country to host the event,? said Simmons.

?They must have full support of their Government before the bid is given to them, it simply means that, yes, you have to do your fundraising and try to raise all of the money that is necessary to put on such an event, but should there be a shortfall then Government is there to pick up the slack. That?s how it is, otherwise they (IAAF) can pull the event from us.?

Simmons said that her group were focusing on raising the full amount even if Government were there as a back-up.

According to the president it was difficult for the Sports Minister to make a commitment to any figure because Government still faced huge financial challenges in getting the country back to normal following the damage inflicted by Hurricane Fabian.

?There are a lot of untold expenses that Government is facing that are not covered by insurance with regards to the damage caused by Fabian, so even though initially this was put forward, it?s incumbent upon us to ensure there is a minimal amount that Government will have to give, if anything at all,? she added.

?That?s what we are trying to do because the Causeway and the road near John Smith?s Bay and the like have been repaired and were not insured, and there are a number of other things that were not insured and these expenses are in the Government budget that nobody would have foreseen.?

The CARIFTA Games, for athletes aged 20 or under, will be held in Bermuda on April 9, 10 and 11 next year.