IT'S been a long time coming, but Bermuda seems to have finally arrived as an international sports destination of some repute.

And now that we're there, shouldn't we be spending a lot more time taking advantage of the obvious opportunities that abound.

Just over a week ago, the leading players in the world of sailing flew in for the King Edward VII Gold Cup, regarded as one of the most prestigious of all match-racing regattas. As they departed, four of golf's elite arrived for this week's PGA Grand Slam.

And as they bid farewell, the Island braces itself for this Sunday's 'Escape to Bermuda' international triathlon which will attract a field comprising the globe's biggest names in this, arguably the most gruelling and demanding of all individual sports.

In the space of barely a week, three top-draw, quality international sporting events.

And there's more to come . . . next month's World Rugby Classic followed by one of the world's top international squash events, which in turn will be followed by January's International Race Weekend.

Each and every one of these events have seemingly built a reputation for excellent organisation and wonderful hospitality at a venue which, according to most of those taking part, is unrivalled by any other in terms of natural beauty.

Of course, their success has also been built on the countless hours of work put in by local volunteers, both Bermudians and ex-pats, and not least by the promotional efforts of the Department of Tourism.

But given these success stories, shouldn't we be now seeking out more, even higher-profile international events which could further this country's growing reputation of hosting sporting occasions of the highest quality.

Perhaps Government could appoint a committee whose sole purpose would be to persuade more international governing bodies to bring their premier tournaments and competitions this way.

Wouldn't it at least be a better way of spending taxpayers' money than on those silly 'Feel the Love' slogans we see splashed over billboards advertising Bermuda every time we touch down at an airport in the US.

Ironically, missing out on this rush of international interest our are two national sports, cricket and soccer.

Just this week, our national cricket team have again embarked on another lengthy overseas tour of Africa and the United Arab Emirates — a tour once again forced upon them as the facilities here at home aren't good enough to host either One-Day Internationals or Intercontinental Cup matches.

At last March's World Cup we were assured a pitch at the National Sports Centre capable of accommodating such games would be in place by the summer.

Well, summer's come and gone, we were told by the Environment Minister the soil required to construct such a pitch was on its way, and have heard nothing else since. Our national cricketers suffer some hefty criticism for their performances on the international stage, much of it deserved, but their cause certainly isn't helped by the inability to perform in front of a home crowd. But what a pitch meeting international cricket standards would also provide, besides allowing our own team to play at home, would be the opportunity for Bermuda to put on events similar to the Sharjah Cup, hosted by the UAE who like Bermuda are not a Test-playing country but are still able to attract the game's leading teams.

As for football, there was a time when the National Sports Stadium entertained Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. Those days have long gone.

Instead, during the short off-season, it's countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, China, even the US, who are providing 'working vacations' for these same clubs.

Bermuda could match any of them in terms of facilities and hospitality, perhaps providing a far more attrractive alternative.

The foundation for establishing Bermuda as an international sporting 'mecca' has been laid. Why not built on it?

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WHENEVER we switch onto CableVision these days, we're greeted with the message that 'sun spots can appear at this time of the year, disrupting service to various channels . . ."

So what's their excuse for the rest of the year?

Perhaps viewers should send back a message of their own: "Due to continued poor service, we're not paying our bill . . ."

Sports fans, in particular, seem to be affected by the company's hit-and-miss programming.

Those, like this columnist, who subscribe to SportsMax (channel 350) at additional cost have reason to be aggrieved.

As a writer to Sports Mailbox this week explained, the channel consistently fails to provide what it advertises and for much of the time airs 'rinky dink' junior football, the standard of which is no better than what we're likely to see at BAA Field or Bernard Park on a Sunday morning.

Other channels regularly tell us that 'due to the loss of a satellite signal' the programme we're supposed to be watching is no longer available.

Given that our monthly bill for this appalling service is likely higher than that of any cable provider anywhere else in the world, don't we deserve a whole lot better?