BERMUDA has reportedly expressed interest in joining a new Caribbean regional organisation to fight the war against drugs in sport.

An agency described as the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO), based in Barbados, has been established this month.

Dr. Adrian Lorde, head of the Barbados National Anti-Doping Commission, has been instrumental in the setting up of RADO, which has been put in place at the request of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Dr. Lorde explained why the organisation was being set up.

"The smaller countries don't have the resources, manpower and experienced personnel to carry out the measures necessary to comply with WADA guidelines," Dr. Lorde said.

The process of testing, test results management, dealing with appeals and education of athletes would be better dealt with through pooling resources into one regional organisation, WADA believes.

Some Caribbean islands do not have an established drug-testing procedure in place and it is considered essential that that have such infrastructure in place in time for the Cricket World Cup, to be held on various Caribbean islands in the summer of 2007.

Dr. Lorde said he had met with several officials from Bermuda in the past about the island's possible involvement in the project.

Through the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport (BCDFS), the island already has its own anti-doping agency in place. We were unable to contact BCDFS head Jon Beard for comment yesterday.

Last June, Bermuda became a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) protocol which champions clean sport, free from performance-enhancing drugs.