AS nominations begin to trickle in for the 2005 Athlete of the Year, the name of Janeiro Tucker seems to be cropping up with alarming regularity.

And why shouldn?t it?

The Southampton Rangers and Somerset Cup Match skipper has enjoyed one of those seasons, particularly with the World Cup-bound national team, that he?ll remember long after his playing days are over.

At the ICC Trophy in Ireland where Bermuda booked their place in the 2007 Caribbean showpiece, Tucker?s name was never far from the headlines. His batting, his bowling, and most notably his leadership in the absence of injured skipper Clay Smith, were all instrumental in the side?s success.

Yet what some might not have noticed is that Tucker is essentially a team player. During interviews after many of those matches in Ireland, he was quick to point out ? and rightly so ? the contributions of others rather than his own personal achievements.

Should Janeiro end up with this year?s top individual sports award, one senses he might be a tad embarrassed.

For there?s no doubt that what the cricket side accomplished this year was accomplished as a team. Indeed, that was their great strength.

When one player failed another stepped in to fill the breach.

They were constantly pulling for each other.

Contributions came from all corners of the squad. While Tucker put up some useful scores, Irving Romaine, Dean Minors, Lionel Cann, Dwayne Leverock and Saleem Mukuddem all played key roles when it mattered most. And nobody should underestimate the part played by Clay Smith even though much of his time was spent on the sidelines.

If cricket is to be the main benefactor of this year?s Government Sports Awards, then one would hope that no individual will be singled out.

The entire team, coach Gus Logie especially, deserve to be recognised on equal terms.

If an exception to the rule needs to be made, so be it.

Let 2005 be remembered as Sportsmen of the Year rather than Sportsman of the Year.AS USUAL the groundstaff at Belmont Hills provided a course in excellent condition for this week?s annual Gosling?s Invitational. It might not be the longest of tracks, but Belmont?s tight fairways and undulating, lightning fast greens always ensure interesting competition.

Much like Tucker?s Point, Belmont?s owners invested heavily and are reaping the rewards.

Isn?t it a pity then that a Government which professes to care deeply about promoting the Island as a golf destination, hasn?t committed to a similar investment?

There was a time when Port Royal was considered one of the best public courses anywhere in the world.

Yet today, despite the wonderful design work or Robert Trent Jones, it?s no more than ordinary, and at times pitifully inadequate in terms of condition.

While most courses on the Island have replaced their greens with the Tiff-eagle grass which produces the kind of slick, true surfaces seen at Belmont this week, or paspalum grass which thrives on brackish water, the Southampton course has yet to take that step.

And while at great expense a few years ago, Port Royal installed a comprehensive irrigation system, they still don?t have access to the water supply on which it depends to work efficiently.

A little more TLC and a lot more investment would go a long way to restoring Port Royal to its former glory.

If we can afford $11 million for the cricket team we can certainly afford the bucks required to maintain what should be considered a national treasure.