ceremonies of the 17th Central American and Caribbean Games, confusion reigned as late-arriving athletes having trouble getting seats on American Airlines flights, and those already here met with less than perfect conditions at the ahtletes' village.

The organisers of these Games made allowances for some 4,200 athletes from 29 countries in 30 different sports. However, more than 5,000 athletes have arrived so far forcing Puerto Rico, as hosts, to move 300 of their 530 athletes from the village -- a military base called Camp Santiago -- to the Olympic Village to ease the demands on beds.

Both villages are in Salinas, a half-hour drive from the Games centre in Ponce.

The countries with the biggest teams -- Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba -- have been forced to put 10 people in a room big enough to hold just eight.

Fortunately, Bermuda has not experienced such problems with the 13-member sailing team being housed at another facility in Humacao, which is about an hour's drive from Salinas and a further half-hour away from where the sailing will take place in Frajardo on the east coast.

Said BOA secretary general John Hoskins, who is here for a series of CAC and Pan American Games meetings: "One of the thing discussed at the meetings was you have got to have better supervision of the organising committee once they have been awarded the Games. The CAC has a history of committees bidding and not producing. Two of the last four have had problems.'' The Bermuda team numbers about 70 athletes and officials in six sports -- hockey, swimming, athletics, cycling, sailing and tennis -- with their barracks having eight rooms and able to accommodate the team.

The situation varies from acceptable to unbearable depending on the country and how their athletes are able to adjust. The Bermuda team is trying to be as positive as possible. Their main complaints are the food in the cafeteria and the bathrooms, which they are sharing.

"The food was a slight problem to start with but the general consensus is everybody is pretty happy,'' said Michael Tait, manager of the men's hockey teamn, yesterday. "The only thing that's a pain is the bathroom situation because mud is getting tracked in.

"In some ways we are slightly spoiled coming from where we come from, but everybody's spirits are high and we are looking forward to playing our first game against Venezuela (today at 10 a.m.).'' The hockey teams make up the bulk of the Bermuda representatives and the women -- like the men -- are taking it all in stride, even having to travel an hour and a half on cramped school buses to practise on the artificial turf in San Juan where they will play their games.

Both teams will make that journey today, the men for their match against Venezuela and the women for a 2 p.m. clash against Mexico.

"The situation is getting better,'' said Judy Siddle, who is manager of the women's team. "The players are concentrating on one thing -- to bring home a medal -- so training sessions are going very well.

"The problem is the organisers here have athletes who did not meet the deadline and they have not been turned away.'' The women have to get into the top four of their six-team group to have any chance of getting amongst the medals. They play each team once and come up against Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago.

"The girls are focussed,'' said Siddle.

The men are split into two groups of four with Bermuda grouped with 1990 silver medallists Venezuela, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago, while the other group comprises Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guyana and Barbados.

"We're in the tough group, so if we can survive that we will be in good shape,'' said Tait.

The top two teams from each men's group will advance to the semifinals next week.

Bermuda's swimmers will also begin competition this morning at 10 a.m. with Chris Flook, a medal prospect, seeing action in the 100 metres breaststroke while Trevor Hedges will compete in the 200 freestyle. Heats and finals will be held on the same day and college student Jenny Smatt will be looking to excel in the 200 breaststroke this weekend.

"The two most likely winners of medals are Flook in the 100 breaststroke and Jenny in the 100 and 200 breaststroke,'' said coach Gareth Davies. "Flook is seeded fifth in the 100 breaststroke and Jenny sixth in the 200 breaststroke.

Our main aim is to get to the finals and these two are our best chance.'' The other members of the swimming team are Geri Mewett (50 and 100 freestyle, medley, freestyle relay), Trevor Ferguson (200 free and relay), Ian Raynor (50 free and 100 butterfly) and Stephen Fahy (100 butterfly, 100 free and relay).

Either Raynor or Fahy will also compete in the medley relay.

On the wall of the swimmers' room is a poster that says: "Positive thinking will give you a lift, negative thinking will drag you down and winners play the hands they are dealt.'' It sums up their attitude as they prepare for what lies ahead. "This is part of the reality of travelling down to the Caribbean and Central America,'' said Davies. "It's going to be very intense with very good competition.'' The CAC Games were brought forward a year to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the Columbus Day holiday, which was celebrated yesterday.

The three-man tennis team of Ricky Mallory, Billy Way and Donald Evans was to arrive yesterday, depending on the situation at American Airlines, which provides 80 percent of the flights to Puerto Rico.

The three ahtletes, Kavin Smith, Jennifer Fisher and Terry Lynn Paynter, are due to arrive this weekend.

JENNY SMATT -- Medal hopeful in 100 and 200 metres breaststoke.