Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) could be heading for a showdown with at least one club over its CARIFTA Games policy.

A day after the deadline for potential CARIFTA athletes to join the national programme, national coach Gerry Swan yesterday stressed the regulations under which Bermuda?s juniors would be considered for the annual, regional athletics meet were virtually iron-clad.

?They would have to give a very good reason to the (BTFA) directors to explain why they didn?t start at the time they should have started.

?That information has been communicated to all clubs,? Swan declared when asked about the fate of athletes not currently training with the national squad but who meet the qualification standards between now and the Games here next Easter.

?There are criteria which require training with the national squad . . . and that?s been laid down by the directors of the BTFA.

?It?s nothing new. There?s nothing mysterious about it.?

However, Mid-Island Striders coach Renalda Swan has angrily hit out at the stringent requirements which calls for athletes in the Under-17 and Under-20 age groups to abandon their respective clubs and coaches and train solely with Gerry Swan.

?It doesn?t make any sense. The athletes have been doing fine with their own coaches up to this point. All of a sudden the BTFA is saying ?You as a coach are not good enough to bring these athletes to national level? and that ?they can only be brought to that level if they come and train with us?.

?That?s not true. The national programme has been suffering for years so why, just because CARIFTA is going to be in Bermuda, should I think the training these kids are going to get will be any better by you taking them four months prior to the Games.

?We club coaches are doing just fine with these athletes. We must be doing a fine job if the national squad has identified athletes who they want for their programme. If we weren?t doing a good job they wouldn?t want our athletes.

?Our athletes are quite happy with us. We have given them the option if they want to go (to the national programme) and our athletes have decided to stay with us until we think it?s time for them to join the national programme.?

Mid-Island Striders, he added, had earmarked March 1, 2004, as the date on which to turn over its CARIFTA athletes to the national programme. That, reasoned the former Olympic 400-metre runner, was more than enough time for them to assemble with other athletes as part of Bermuda?s contingent.

?I spoke to one of the BTFA coaches who will remain nameless at this time ? and he agreed with what I said ? and I told him ?We?ll turn our kids over to you on March 1. That gives you guys six weeks with our kids. When they come to you they will already be in shape and all you need to do is maintain their fitness and maybe do some minor fine-tuning but they will be ready to roll?.

?I told him six weeks is ample time. He shook his head and he thought ?You know what you?re right. That could work?.?

Swan vowed that Mid-Island Striders athletes would compete in every CARIFTA trial possible and ?God willing, they will meet the qualifying standards?. He also expects his charges to beat members of the national team and looks forward to seeing the BTFA?s stance if and when this occurs.

?I wonder what the BTFA are going to do. Are they going to say you weren?t on the national team so you can?t participate?

?It would be asinine for them not to pick athletes who are good enough to be in CARIFTA just because they are not training under the national programme.

?It?s absolute nonsense. We Bermudians are putting on a $700,000 party for everybody else to come and enjoy because we?re certainly not going to be enjoying it at the rate we?re going.?

As for what will happen if the BTFA remain unmoved, he noted that legal action ? such as getting an injunction ? has been suggested to them but he would not like to see it come to that.

He lamented that representation was already made to Sports Minister Dale Butler but that the latter ?does not seem to understand the situation?.

?He is not a sportsman and only other sportsmen can understand this.?

The coach noted that most Caribbean countries had larger contingents than Bermuda and most of their squads only come together a month before CARIFTA; most having used their inter-schools? sports championships as a qualifier.

Swan charged that Bermuda?s athletics has been on a downward slide for some time and it?s clear ?we need to make changes?.

?I look at the BTFA right now and think of the . Gerry Swan is the captain. Mike Watson is his first mate and Judy (Simmons) is the ship?s owner.

?Dale Butler is a passenger and he better jump ship while he?s got a chance because when that ship sinks that crew is not going to go down with it.

?I know that?s a little harsh but those are my feelings, seriously.?