Bermuda still expects to have participants from 23 countries at the Carifta Games despite entries coming in ?in dribs and drabs?.

President of the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) Judy Simmons said yesterday that despite not receiving final entries from several countries yet, she is confident all will be here for the annual Easter athletics meet.

?The preliminary entries that we received still stand. Those people are still interested in coming to Carifta and that?s all I can tell you,? she told

?As far as their final numbers are concerned, I can?t give you that. We did have preliminary interest from 23 countries.

?I have no reason to believe those countries are still not coming. The only thing I don?t know is the exact final numbers. It could be more or less than what was given in the preliminary entries.

She added that Belize were the only nation to indicate they were definitely not attending.

A number of Carifta-member countries ? including Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua, Grenada, Jamaica and Barbados ? missed the deadline for submitting entries because they are holding their qualifying meets this weekend. The Bahamas, too, will be forwarding the names of their athletes late as they are using this week?s high-school competitions as part of their qualifiers.

Asked when she expects to receive all the entries, Simmons replied: ?When I?ll have them all, that?s another story. As you know from the past, I may not get them all. They may just show up at the airport.?

Meanwhile, she said Bermuda?s Carifta team will be announced at a Press conference later this week. Athletes in the national training squad had a last chance to qualify to represent the Island at a meet last weekend.