TO their enormous credit, Bermuda Track and Field Association appear to be taking some positive steps in an effort to repair their somewhat tattered reputation.

The emergence of new director Stanley Williams, who has taken on the role of public relations officer, has, for instance, had an immediate effect.

All of a sudden the media, and as such the public, are being kept informed of the performances both here and abroad of some of our top athletes.

Thanks to Williams, we?ve had regular updates in recent weeks on the likes of Aranxta King, Ashley Couper and Michael Donawa among others, all of whom have excelled overseas.

There?s been an unprecedented flow of information, which bodes well for the future of the sport.

We hear also that, thanks to others now taking on a more prominent role within the BTFA, some significant moves have been made to heal the rift with Mid Island Striders.

But, as witnessed by last weekend?s national track and field championships, there?s still a long way to go before athletics re-emerges as one of our national sports.

National coach Gerry Swan described the two-day meet as ?a success? with some ?exciting performances?.

And from a junior perspective, he might have been right.

But this was also supposed to be the national senior championships ? the showcase event of local athletics.

You?d never have known it.

Among the men, two runners in the 100 metres, four in the 200 metres, one in the 400 metres, one in the 800 metres and one in the long jump. Among the women, just one competitor in both the 100 and 200 metres, and just one team in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Quite frankly, it was pitiful.

Those who won their events last weekend became national champions ? but with sometimes no competition at all and no more than two or three entrants in other races, such acclaim meant nothing.

More than 420 runners took part in the recent May 24 Marathon Derby. Not a single one of them appeared on the track last weekend.

Indeed, there wasn?t even a men?s 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres or women?s 3,000 metres on the schedule.

It?s difficult to believe that track and field and road running are governed by the same national association when there remains such a huge divide.

The development of juniors is an integral part of the BTFA?s programme, and through the help of various local clubs, we now seem to have a healthy crop of youngsters participating.

But what?s happened to our senior athletes?

It?s an issue the BTFA need to address.

A national championships with two competitors and less in blue riband events such as the 100 and 200 metres would indicate there?s something seriously wrong with the way the sport is being run.

For all their recent good work, the BTFA must accept there?s still a mountain to climb.

SOCCER coach Kyle Lightbourne will have been disappointed with his team?s 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the visiting Manchester City youngsters last week, as were the players and the local fans . . . not to mention City themselves who would have preferred a more competitive game.

While one can sympathise with Kyle in that he was forced to field a largely inexperienced, untried team, had little time to prepare and expected to get beat, results such as this don?t help the programme.

Local players become discouraged and lose confidence, and opponents, such as City, benefit little from such a one-sided affair.

If City are to return next year ? and by all accounts they want to if finances are available ? then Bermuda has to find a way to field a side much more representative of the Island?s talents.

If we can?t, then scrap the match and spare Bermuda football the blushes.