Bermuda could be sending a big team to this summer's Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Bermuda Olympic Association general secretary Phillip Guishard said yesterday that he has had inquiries from 100 people from as many as 13 sports.

"Planning is still in the preliminary stages," said Guishard. "But it is great to see so many sports and athletes eager to represent Bermuda."

But money – or rather the lack of – could be a stumbling block.

"Cost does comes into it," he added. "Traditionally the BOA does not completely pay for this trip. The CAC Games, for our national sports governing bodies, are for the development stage of their programmes where they test what they have been doing for the first time in international competition.

"We are trying, under this new mandate we have taken on, to assist in some way but we have not arrived at how we are going to do that and what the limits are. These are very difficult economic times. But we do not want to see anyone disappointed from the point of view of finance. There is no way we want to stop anyone going because of (the lack of) finances.

"It is wonderful to see this type of interest."

The CAC Games are staged every four years and are for countries in Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, and the South American countries of Surinam, Guyana, Colombia and Venezuela. The last Games in 2006 were staged in Colombia and the 2014 Games will be held in Mexico.

Guishard said: "We have got over 100 people who have said they would like to go. We are just in a sorting out period now. We want to get a certain number of people on what we call the long list. That is anyone who is has the possibility of competing or serving as an official.

"We are going through that process right now. I would say of that 100 people, two thirds are athletes. There are also a few teams who want to go – football, hockey and basketball although basketball has been eliminated already."

Guishard said one problem facing the athletes – especially in team sports – was finding out how to qualify for the Games.

"That is part of the problem in our region. There is a problem quite frankly of giving people fair notice about different things especially with regards to qualification. I think some sports have suffered from that absence of information, especially team sports. I get the impression there is a lack of information what the qualifying tournaments are. I understand there are some difficulties.

"But right now we have about 13 sports interested in going."

Those sports are swimming, athletics, bowling, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, hockey, shooting, tennis, triathlon, sailing, football and taekwondo.

Bermuda have won a total of 14 medals in the CAC Games – one gold, three silver and 10 bronze.

Guishard added the Games were perfect for Bermuda athletes hoping to go further and compete in bigger competitions like the Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and Olympics.

"We have to be good in our region before we go on to something like the Olympics. And that is why so many sports and athletes are interested in competing in the CAC Games. These Games are the testing ground for our athletes."

Bermuda can expect to come up against athletes from Antigua and Barbuda, Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

The opening ceremony will be on July 17 with the closing ceremony on August 1.