Mid-Island Striders? non-membership of Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) has come to the fore in their Carifta Games impasse and, once again, is an issue which divides the two sides.

Both blame the other.

The BTFA say they requested additional information on Mid-Island?s second application in October, 2002, and it was never provided while Mid-Island charge that each time they seek membership they are thwarted.

BTFA president Judy Simmons told that Mid-Island applied twice. Their first application, she noted, was not in compliance with BTFA and IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) rules and Mid-Island were asked to meet the BTFA to clarify things and ensure their compliance.

The club submitted another application in October, 2002, which, she said, had a membership list only containing children?s names.

?We wrote back asking them to send a list with not only names but contact numbers, dates of birth and addresses. That?s what a membership list must have.

?We also told them that we noticed most of their athletes were not registered with us which is a requirement and that some of the signatories on the first application had changed with the second one.

?We asked who were the new officers and what were their positions (in the club) and what period of time would they serve in office. We haven?t had a reply to that,? said Simmons.

However, Mid-Island coach Bill Euler contended the ball is in the BTFA?s court and that they pursued membership three times ? 2000, 2001 and 2002 ? and that late last year he even enquired about it again.

?We applied three times and each time something new is added . . . every time we do what needs to be done they reject us and come up with some excuse.

?I called (BTFA director) Roger Lee last October and asked him what we needed to do and he said he would take it to their meeting and he never got back to us.?

Euler said in 2000, the BTFA took five months to get back to him after he gave then vice-president Mike Swan what he thought was the necessary information to attain membership. It was not until 2001 that they received a reply asking for more documentation.

?They asked for a list of our executive committee members and we gave them a list. That?s all they asked for. When Mike Swan replied to me in 2001 he said give him the names of our executive committee members and that he would set up a meeting and advise us what needs to be done.

?We?ve never had that meeting but I gave Mike Swan the $50 for registration and we?ve never got a receipt for that. As a matter of fact they still have the $50 and we?ve never had that meeting.?

In 2002, Mid-Island applied to the BTFA again and met with the national athletics governing body. On that occasion, Euler disclosed they were told they needed to have a minimum of 15 athletes which was the first time they had heard this.

?Every year it was something new and it?s always just before the annual general meeting that they say ?You don?t have the proper documents? and then we miss going to the election. Maybe there?s something to look at there.?

In the BTFA?s defence, Simmons also pointed out that Mid-Island had been invited to training for the Junior CAC Championships taking place in Mexico in June. If the BTFA were deliberately trying to exclude Mid-Island this would not have been done, she said.

?We?re not closing the door on them. The choice is theirs. It always has been.?

She refuted the club?s assertion that to be eligible to compete at CAC Juniors their athletes had to have been in Carifta which would automatically bar them.

?That?s not true. In order to take part in the World Junior Championships you have to have attended the Carifta Games and/or the CAC Junior Championships.

?The IAAF has always said if you can?t take part in your regional events then you shouldn?t be taking part in Worlds but there?s no stipulation that you must have been in Carifta to take part in CAC Juniors.?