COMPETITION in any shape or form might have been the last thing on anyone's mind as Hurricane Fabian carved its path of destruction through the Island last weekend.

But it's quickly become apparent this week that sport has suffered considerably and will continue to do so both in the long and the short term as a result of the catastrophic damage inflicted by the storm.

Both national sports, cricket and soccer, will certainly be counting the cost.

In cricket, the Champion of Champions tournament, one of the highlight weekends of the season, naturally fell foul of the weather last week and will now not be played at all.

With problems getting players over the Causeway likely to continue throughout this month, the decision by Bermuda Cricket Board was a difficult but ultimately a sensible one.

And whatever the BCB's decision, it's unlikely the games could have been played at Lord's where the St. David's club took a terrible beating.

Yesterday, as the picture on this page shows, the field remained covered with concrete blocks, rocks and stones, some washed up from the shoreline, others from nearby buildings which crumbled under the force of the hurricane.

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated Barbados Tour will go ahead this weekend, and for those wanting to take their minds off the misery and frustration of recent events, the games should provide a welcome distraction.

But with the National Sports Centre another casualty of the high winds, all four matches will now be played at Somerset, meaning both planned day/night games will revert to day games.

Given the success of cricket under lights in the recent exhibition matches at the NSC - and with Brian Lara at the crease one would have expected nothing less - it's a shame more of the same can't now be served up with what promises to be an entertaining Caribbean squad.

But if cricket's taking it on the chin, then football - even before the first ball of the new season has been kicked - is also feeling its blows.

The traditional curtain-raiser, the Charity Cup, will go ahead this Sunday, a week later than planned, but that too won't be looked upon as a priority as the Island continues its struggle to get back to normality.

And with floodlights down at BAA Field and at other venues it's open to speculation how soon Bermuda Football Association can launch the Martonmere Cup which was originally to have got underway this weekend.

Perhaps the biggest casualty of the hurricane so far, however, is cycling's Grand Prix which was to have taken place next weekend.

That event has been scrapped entirely with organisers realising that the dozens of volunteers, marshalls and those who help accommodate the visiting riders in their own homes, making the races the success that they are, simply wouldn't be able to devote the same amount of time or energy as they had in the past.

Of all Bermuda's sports, cycling has arguably progressed more than any in recent years and the Grand Prix was rapidly becoming an international event of some significance.

Hopefully, the hiatus won't stunt that growth and organisers will still be able to attract a top class overseas field a year from now.

But if those in the cycling fraternity are licking their wounds, they might spare a thought for local golfers.

Historically it's been the Island's courses that have been hit hardest whenever hurricane force winds have bore down on the Island.

And it was no different last weekend.

While some escaped the full wrath of the storm, Fabian struck both Port Royal and Mid Ocean Club with its full fury.

Between them, those two courses estimate to have lost over 500 trees.

And no matter how efficient the clean-up in the next couple of weeks, it could take several years before either of those lay-outs fully recover.

Apart from their aesthetic value, trees help shape and define a golf course.

With so many lost, the challenge facing golfers can only de diminished.

Yet amongst all the chaos this week, Fabian, to a lesser degree but in similar fashion to September 11, has offered another gentle reminder that at the end of the day it's only a game.

As we discovered last Friday, there are more pressing matters to deal with.