Bermuda's brand new National Sports Complex could be completed by mid-summer 1999, a chairman for the trustees said.

And the necessary finances will be raised through a bond issue although the final details are yet to be worked out.

Donald Lines, chairman of the board of trustees of the National Sports Complex made these statements to an assembled gathering of sports organisations at the Bermuda College.

Using a projector and large diagrams Mr. Lines explained the broad design plans and the basic concept for the facility that will house administrative offices, a swimming pool, running track, soccer field and cricket pitch.

Moreover, he said the buildings would be constructed so that they could be used for a number of different activities from board meetings, to basketball or an indoor concert.

For the sports organisations however, attention was fixed on the ability of their members to use the facilities.

Jon Beard of the Bermuda Schools Sports Federation asked whether the trustees were going to ensure that the fees were not so high that sports organisations were unable to pay them.

"At the moment the costs of the stadium for a soccer game is something like $1,000 for a double header plus the costs of lights, cleanup and the costs of the public address system and groundsmen's wages.'' In reply Mr. Lines said that the trustees would be looking at the entire question of costs.

"Obviously if you're going to put the lights on we have a cost and that cost has to be borne by someone'' he said. "...in essence we have to have something that pays the costs of all those services. It is unrealistic for us to not charge and it is unrealistic for others to expect them to be free.'' Furthermore, he said the trustees were looking at new technology that can dim the lights or have some lights on while others are off but like most things this too will cost in the region of $200,000.

Access and user-friendliness were also high on the mind of national track and field coach Gerry Swan who said that Brian Wellman, Bermuda's internationally ranked triple jumper was among one of several athletes affected by the current "people insensitive'' policy for using the stadium.

"Why is there such an over zealous approach to deny people the use of the infield?'' he asked.

Mr. Lines said that ground staff are very touchy about the infield because the cost of repairs to the grass is very high.

Another sports representative from the Pembroke Hamilton Club asked whether the National Sports Complex's trustees could ask for additional help from the international business community.

Mr. Lines said: "I think we have to be a little careful about the exempted companies because they already support this community in a big way already in jobs and other respects.

"They are very generous to the charities and they have been very generous in other respects and I hope that they will be very generous in other respects in the sense that they will invest in our bonds.

"We will be talking to them but I think we must be careful in how we approach them.'' SPORTS SP