Hitting out at his opposite number and the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA), Shadow Sports Minister Jon Brunson has declared track and field ?a dying sport? which is ?being strangled?.

Incessant controversies in the sport plus friction between the BTFA and various athletics entities, he says, ?have people frustrated and discouraged?.

?Don?t take my word for it ? just look at where track and field is. There?s hardly anybody in it,? stated the Opposition parliamentarian, speaking out amid the latest criticisms of the BTFA and its stringent selection criteria.

Himself a runner, Brunson lamented the sport?s state in Bermuda, calling it ?a shame?.

?At the end of the day it?s the young athletes who are dropping out and who suffer. They are suffering because they miss opportunities that could be life-changing, that could lead them to further their education or their sport.

?Track and field is a sport where the masses can participate. There aren?t large overheads and it has a lot to offer. It?s a good character builder and instils discipline and a lot of positive values.?

Though voicing stinging condemnation of the BTFA, the United Bermuda Party (UBP) member first took aim at Sports Minister Dale Butler whom he chastised for not keeping a promise made at the height of last year?s Carifta Games turmoil in which several local athletes were prevented from representing the Island on home soil because they refused to join the national training programme.

?Last year the minister made a commitment he was going to have a board of inquiry with reference to the status and the running of the BTFA. It was largely as a result of the controversy around Carifta and the selection of athletes and the process.

?It also had to do with the fact that they (BTFA) hadn?t filed financial statements since ? I don?t have the exact date ? I think it?s 2000,? recalled Brunson.

?It?s a year later and the inquiry has not been held and athletes, yet again, have missed an opportunity to participate in Carifta as a result of guidelines which were questionable last year. I think failure to execute the board of inquiry has definitely worked to the disadvantage of our track and field athletes.

?The board of inquiry needs to be held and the BTFA need to comply with the Charities Act which says they have to file financial statements and somebody has to be held accountable.?

While he does not subscribe to Government?s involvement in the daily affairs of sporting organisations, the shadow minister believes it could and should enforce operational guidelines to protect sports and secure the public?s interest.

?Where Government comes into play is that it provides financial assistance through grants to these sporting bodies and Government should set standards regarding how these organisations operate and should have levels of expectations and measurement tools to determine how well these sports are developing.

?That?s what Government is there for ? to hold these sporting bodies accountable. You need to have procedures and controls in place to help these organisations succeed because administration is one of the biggest weaknesses in local sport,? stressed Brunson, adding that he has discussed his concerns with various persons in the athletics community.

Regarding the BTFA?s strict selection policy, the spokesman pointed to ?a double standard?, noting that local athletes who opt not to train with national coach Gerry Swan are ineligible to represent their country while others, who don?t live here, are plucked from overseas to compete for the Island.

?The athletes who live in Bermuda are disadvantaged. The BTFA should set the qualifying standards for the athletes and, regardless of where and with what club the athletes meet those qualifying marks, the BTFA should honour them,? he insisted.

Another of Brunson?s contentions was that athletics? national governing body lacked transparency and appeared shrouded in secrecy when it came to choosing teams and other matters.

?When athletes compete and meet the qualifying standards those results should be made public. It should be clear who has qualified. There shouldn?t be any secrecy around what and how the athletes are achieving or meeting the standards.

?It should be open and obvious,? he elaborated.

?That?s what?s fair but if you?re not open and clear about the standards and procedures ? and which athletes qualify and how they do so ? that?s when you get problems.

?These are the kinds of issues surrounding track and field. It?s such a closed shop that the public questions the fairness, process and transparency in selection.?