Randy Horton declared himself 'Mr Sport' after being unveiled as Government's new Minister of Community Affairs and Sport yesterday.

The former professional soccer star and cricketer was named as a successor to the outgoing Dennis Lister during the PLP's cabinet reshuffle.

Horton said he was delighted to be given a post he had coveted for a long time.

"To be quite frank it was a job that I really thought about when I first entered the political arena," he said. "Sport was certainly high on a list of priorities as far as I was concerned."

If his resume is anything to go by he would appear suitably qualified for the post.

"I was Somerset's Cup Match captain and I played cricket for Bermuda. I played professional soccer for the New York Cosmos. I was the Most Valuable Player in the North American Soccer League, I was the Rookie of the Year in that league and the top scorer," he said.

"I was a major influence while playing for Somerset. We were champions for years while I was playing. I also coached Somerset and St George's. When it comes to sport it's been me, it has been my life."

Horton's new title is somewhat long-winded as he also has responsibility for Community Affairs, Cultural Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Human Rights, Race Relations and the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality.

With that in mind it remains to be seen just how much time he will give over to sport.

In terms of what he has planned, Horton said it was too early to be making any pledges.

"I don't want to speak too much in terms of where our shortfalls are at the moment. I want to be able to take an opportunity to sit in the Ministry. I am having meetings with the outgoing Minister tomorrow and I would like to sit down and do a re-evaluation of programmes in place now before I go out and say 'this is what I would like to do'," he said.

"I certainly wouldn't say right now going in that I am going to be radically changing anything. I think anything that is changed will certainly be changed with a great deal of thought behind it. At this point I can't say there will be any radical changes but, certainly, once I get in, there will be no question that things will not be as usual." Horton said Government had a major role to play in how sport was run in Bermuda and promised to operate an open door policy to all interested parties.

"Once I get in I'll certainly be touching base (with the various sporting bodies)," he said. "That is the way I operate anyway. I will be touching base with all the stakeholders. Obviously people will have their views and I am going to be very interested in knowing what people are thinking about what they are doing."

Horton's appointment comes just a day after the outgoing Minister launched an attack on the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club for staging an unauthorised race meeting at Southside, St David's.

The club had been given permission to race at Clearwater Beach after Southside was declared a construction site.

However, club officials opted to move back to Southside without permission earlier this month because of safety fears. They believed they had too many riders for the smaller Clearwater track and so decided to move back to their original home.

As a consequence Lister announced the club would be banned from racing for the forseeable future for "consistently" failing to comply with Government's terms and conditions.

Horton, though admitting he was not fully appraised of the situation, said he believed the steps taken were correct.

"I haven't really looked at it. I need to look at it and see what the facts are," he said. "I am sure he (Lister) had good reasons for giving the suspension. Obviously he has done that and I would be supportive. I don't know the facts right now but I am sure the Minister acted in a wise way."

Asked if Government believed there was a place for motorsports in Bermuda, he said: "Why not? . . . But you have to work within the confines of policy."