Dear Sir,

Bermuda recently was the venue for the most successful Central American Caribbean (CAC) Cross Country Championships ever. The President of the CAC, Mr. Victor Lopez, applauded the Bermuda Track and Field Association, the local organising committee, the national coaches and the many volunteers for staging a first class event at the beautiful Port Royal Golf course.

On the heels of this event The Royal Gazette Sports Editor, Mr. Adrian Robson, made a personal viewed criticism on the BTFA and the national coach in his 23rd of November Friday Forum. Why would he write these personal criticisms? Did he ask whom he was criticising for their points of view before criticising? I'm sure he would not have been so negatively critical if he would have only investigated for the facts, versus writing from emotion.

He could have then educated the "reflection of the thoughts of many of those involved in local athletics" (from 1st December Gazette) whom he was also writing for. He certainly showed Bermuda and the reading world his non-professionalism.

I hope he will print my complete letter, in which I am trying to outline the reasons for his criticisms or attacks to the public, as he seems to print completely for them who criticise the BTFA.

The main reason he uses for the criticisms (attacks) was that the BTFA did not enter a senior female or female team in this cross-country event. (I believe there were also unmentioned reasons). He was correct, but did he relate to a story in the 16th November Royal Gazette sports entitled "Top runner Anna upset over X Country snub"! Even this writer had two sides to his story, not one sided as Adrian Robson's about the excluded females. Definitely biased.

In the article the writer mentioned that Anna did not return the paperwork (which had to sign before consideration) and that I said, "she never gave herself a chance."

This writer could have wanted Bermuda to have a senior female and team as well, but showed professionalism in his writing. It was the editor Robson's responsibility to know what was written in his area of the paper. He questioned his own writer's story by not relating to it and thus wrote only his personal bias garbage. Being biased and not showing respect to his own writers brought out editor Robson's non professionalism once again in this respected newspaper.

During the last three months as the BTFA vice-president for Road Running and then a CAC cross-country selector, I cannot remember hearing from him on the selection of females in the Bermuda team. Unprofessional. In this small island rumours travel faster than things happen.

Mr. Robson has been a runner in BTFA sanctioned events a lot over the years. He can get inside stories on events from his pals. What chance was it that he questioned the president or the national coach? Was he afraid to ask directly because of his past "spoken at length" remarks (read from the 1st December sports page) about the BTFA and coach? Did he ever approach them before the past mentioned "spoken at length remarks" on any running topic? (Maybe when he was an objective journalists before he got too emotional). Professionalism should have been ahead of personal views! Being emotional breeds being unprofessional and very one-sided.

What has he done for running! I suppose printing results of a race is one thing good, thus keeping some people on his side. He knows how to criticise the running decisions. What else after that!

In Mr. Robson's reply to Gerry Swan's letter of the 1st December, he states that his criticism was only aimed at the BTFA & Mr. Swan. One-sided bias. Mr. Robson should know the participating athletes, registered athletes and affiliates help make up the BTFA, so the criticism includes them, even them who "so called have tolerated Mr. Swan's policy of exclusion" (1st December paper).

Some of the athletes who represented Bermuda then, felt that Friday Forum was garbage. It seems that he was attacking the sport from many years ago, reaping, not because of the fact that no senior females were chosen.

The BTFA is run as democratic as possible by volunteers and to the best of their ability, thus his " reflection of the thoughts of many people" (1st December paper) and him need to work for running from the inside. Has he ever tried to be a part of the BTFA decision making? Inside not outside? The decision of the majority should be supported by the minority, thus showing teamwork. Did other volunteers give up because decisions did not go their way!

Those "reflection of the thoughts people" and you could have known the reasons why certain runners were not chosen? On Mr. Robson's past record. would he really have cared why the runners were not chosen. Is he just always looking for a critical attack on the BTFA? Maybe these old sayings relate to you and them: "If you can't control from within, then ruin from the outside" or "be a part of the solution and not the problem".

You are in a great position as a sports editor to help ruin, and it is too bad that your personal viewed unprofessional approach shines. Some of your people may be on the outside, but they have one thing in common with the whole BTFA, the sport.

Now I wish to point out another possibility to help characterise Mr. Robson. Have you ever read in his Friday Forum stories criticising and attacking the sports of Triathlon, Bicycling, Swimming, Squash, Sailing, Bridge, Chess or Rugby? Why not? Does he do negative investigative reporting on these sports, then print the story? Because he participated in running, does he also want himself or his friends to rule the BTFA? Does he only want to cast a negative image on the BTFA? Are these other sports perfect to this sports editor? Does he only want to look biased, unprofessional, one-sided and then write the garbage against the BTFA, maybe cricket and football!

He should show that he is always biased and write against all sports. But no, maybe his likes are already in charge of those other sports. Decisions have been made. A new day is now here to join in, try it you might like it, but be patient as trust is earned. Is this Friday Forum his means to make his biased personal criticism on whomever he feels, without engaging the other side of the story.

ROGER LAMBERT