The arrival yesterday and today of Canadian officials for a weekend workshop represent two significant bridges on the road towards full implementation groups by the April 1 deadline.

"We're right on schedule,'' said Anthony Roberts, director of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation and facilitator of the Drug Free Sports Policy, initiated two years ago.

April 1 is the date on which targeted and random drug testing for virtually all athletes is set to begin.

In anticipation of that, Hilary Finlay and Rachel Corbett from the Canadian Sports Law Office in Ottawa fly to Bermuda today to train Island adjudicators, discuss sample cases and meet with officials.

The eight local adjudicators have been selected by the Bermuda Council on Drug Free Sports to hear appeals following the detection and punishment phase.

Also visiting is Anne Brown from the Canadian Centre of Ethics in Sports, the body which has acted as consultant for Bermuda.

Brown is to train the Island's eight designated drug collection officers, who are responsible for taking and securing samples.

Officials are still awaiting results of the Ministry's Sport Participation Survey, from which the data base of athletes to be tested will be drawn. The survey began late last year and is expected to be completed by the end of this month, Roberts said.

Still to be determined are issues such as what events will designated for testing.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks, Roberts said, was the disclosure element of the policy. Committee members continue to debate whether to release the names of those who test positive or to keep them confidential.

Roberts confirmed the issue was "a major concern.'' Some feel naming drug cheats will act as a deterrent; others see it as "double jeopardy,'' adding to bans of between one year and a lifetime for drug abusers.

In a community as small as Bermuda, the fear among committee members, Roberts said, was that disclosure would "stigmatise'' an athlete and adversely affect his or her livelihood, travel and employment possibilities.

The policy's Standard Operating Procedure currently stipulates that the decision of the board hearing an incident of drug abuse "will be a matter of public record'' so long as the individual is over 18.

The committee is currently seeking legal advice, including some from the Attorney General's chambers, before making a final decision.

While the The Royal Gazette has not established a firm policy, Sports Editor Adrian Robson said he would be inclined to publish the names of those caught using drugs.

"If people want to take a chance and break the laws of sports, in essence cheat, then I don't think we should show any mercy,'' he said.

A progress report by Austin Woods and Jon Beard of the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport will be held at the Ministry's Annual Sports Conference next weekend.

GOVERNMENT GVT SPORTS SP