Government have renewed their commitment to seeing some parts of the National Sports Centre completed sooner rather than later, by allocating some $6.4 million in this year's budget to that major project.

But now comes the news that the work that was due to start soon on the western stands of the southern field will be delayed because of Bermuda's involvement in World Cup qualifying matches.

In a month's time the national team will play the second leg of their first round tie against the British Virgin Islands at the National Centre, which means that work on building new stands won't now start until the team is eliminated.

"We don't want to disrupt that, so we probably won't accept the tenders until after Bermuda is eliminated,'' said Donald Lines, chairman of the Trustees for the National Centre who are overseeing the completion of the complex.

The stands presently in place will eventually be moved to the northern field, but Lines admits stands will need to be in place for the international football matches.

"We don't want to take the stands down before the people have the chance to see Bermuda play,'' said the chairman. "So that has set back the timing for starting the construction itself.'' Sports Minister Dennis Lister is determined to see the project move towards a speedy completion.

"As the new Minister of the new administration we made a commitment from the early days to see some degree of completion to that project. It has been far, far too long in a state of unreadiness,'' said Lister yesterday.

"You are aware of the rephasing that we instituted as the new administration and the funding is part of being able to go forward with that rephasing. The rephasing involves the southern and northern field projects so that at least those two parts of the complex will have some degree of completion for the user.

"If we are hosting anything on the northern or southern fields we will have all the amenities there to make it function correctly. We won't have to cart in the portable toilets and changing rooms and makeshift stuff that we currently operate under.'' There were also plans to relocate the temporary changing rooms to the south western corner of the field in the space currently occupied by storage containers.

"We have never stopped construction, it may not be so obvious to the average person but we've been very busy,'' Lines stressed.

"As a measure of that we spent $2.7 million in the last year getting plans together for the western stands and other work which has been ongoing.

"The northern field field is ongoing and the western stands are ongoing and we have almost completed the excavation for the centre course so nothing has stopped.'' Lines is delighted with Government's ongoing commitment to see the project to its completion.

"We are very pleased that they have given their commitment in tangible form,'' he stated.

Said Lister: "I'm just pleased we can move forward.

It is hoped that construction of the 5,000 square foot pavilion on the northern field will soon be given the go ahead.

"The (building) industry seems to be slowing down and we are getting some honest bids now,'' said Lines.

"We have already let a contract for the asphalt track around the northern field and fencing but it has been delayed in the last couple of weeks because of the rain. Hopefully that will be finished in the next month or so.''