On a day when Tariq Hewey equalled the 100 metres record, officials blasted conditions at National Stadium for the Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships.

Hewey, a Warwick Secondary School senior, clocked a time of 10.7 seconds during the morning heats, and will hope to better it in the final today.

But greater concerns were expressed by both meet director Jon Beard and chief track judge Randy Benjamin over equipment not being put in place.

Beard, a physical education instructor, said he even had to borrow materials from his own institution to make one discipline possible.

"As chairman of the BSSF I have a concern -- and this is not a criticism of Mr. (Gilbert) Pitcher the groundsman -- that I get here at 7.30 and then have to spend my time helping Mr. Pitcher to get all the implements out,'' said Beard. "With the track, I had to get the beds out and then gather uprights and high-jump equipment from my own school and all of this is happening at 7.30 on the morning of a meet when we're renting out the National Stadium.

"I understand there's probably a manpower problem, I understand the limitations of finance, but I do think if we're aiming to produce the best we can for our students we need to be able to get into somewhere and work from there.'' Beard, while refusing to point fingers of blame, said problems arose when students arrived to participate -- only to find they could not because of delays caused by the late set-up.

He said it was not the first time stadium renters have encountered such problems at the venue and that he would be writing a letter regarding its lack of preparedness.

"I don't know who's fault it is but I know it's not the Bermuda Schools Sports Federation.'' Stadium manager Clifford Wade was unavailable for comment.

Benjamin offered an even harsher evaluation of the situation, drawing in both the Department of Education and Government, questioning whether either fully understood the importance of sport in developing Bermuda's youth, especially black males.

To Benjamin the message sent via the morning delays was an all too familiar one: Disregard of the needs of youth.

"I think that too many people undervalue the importance of athletics and all they have to do is look at what Tiger Woods has done to garnering support for minorities, for black people,'' said Benjamin, a former president of the Bermuda Track and Field Association.

"There's a direct correlation -- which people don't see -- between good citizens and athletic performance and this is particularly important for males in this country.''