meet 24 years ago, Mort Diamond of Maryland, will be guest speaker at the Bermuda Pacers Track Club annual awards banquet this Saturday night at CedarBridge Academy.

The banquet is being held in honour of those athletes who represented Pacers at the meet during 1998-99.

Diamond launched the East Coast meet in 1975, aimed primarily at youngsters.

Bermuda Pacers have taken part for a number of years.

Diamond has been president of the Track and Field Development Association, the sponsoring group of the East Coast Invitational.

He also served for six years as president of the Potomoac Valley Association of USA Track and Field, which includes Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia.

Diamond also officiates in track meets involving youth, high school collegiate and open athletes, at venues auch as the US Naval Academy, George Mason University, Princeton and the Penn Relays.

He visited Bermuda in the mid-1970s when he brought his son to attend a youth meet, organised by then national coach Clive Longe. He was also invited here to conduct a training clinic for Bermuda youngsters in the long jump and he officiated at the opening track meet of the new stadium.

Tickets for Saturday's banquet are $35. Anyone needing tickets can call 236-9272.

SQUASH SQU Graham Counsell and Nas Jetha battled back from the brink of defeat to win their divisional titles in the two closest fought of the Shell Handicap Squash Tournament finals at the weekend.

In the junior division, 12-year-old Counsell fought back to defeat defending champion Andrew Stout 3-2, while Jetha achieved a similar victory in the Division Three final against Dave Law.

Stout led 13-15, 15-11, 15-13 and had two match balls in the fourth game before Counsell clawed back to save the game 15-14.

The decider was a repeat of the fourth game, as Stout once more led 14-13, but Counsell mustered all his energy to level and then secure the title with a well-placed lob.

Similarly, Law led 7-15, 15-11, 15-8 against Jetha, but at 13-13 in the fourth, Jetha found the resolve to equalise.

In the decider, Jetha found himself facing five match balls at 10-14 down but pulled off a series of winning drop shots from all angles to get back into a sudden death situation and then deliver the winning shot.

The Division One title went to newcomer to the Island, Harry McKenzie, from Barbados, who defeated local Mel Caines 3-0.

All three games were hard fought. McKenzie took a first game of long rallies 15-11 and then won the second 15-14 on a disputed referee's call.

McKenzie appeared to tire in the third game, but Caines was unable to capitalise and gave away several strokes through loose play, allowing the Barbadian to triumph 15-11.

Junior player TJ Clark battled through five hard games to take the Division Two title.

Facing the more experienced Michael Burke, Clark started with a 10-point advantage and eventually won 15-8, 8-15, 10-15, 15-0, 15-2.

Michelle Turner made her tournament debut a victorious one by defeating Tim Gunning in the Division Four final 15-13, 14-15, 15-8, 4-15, 15-10.

SOCCER SOC Tuff Dogs, who contain a number of former Mariners players, continued their winning start to the Commercial League B Division on Saturday with an 11-2 hammering of Bermuda Pest Control.

In their first season in the league, Tuff Dogs are now in a three-way points tie for first place with Devonshire All-Stars and St. George's All-Stars, all having 3-0 records. But Tuff Dogs lead the standings on goal difference.

Harry Andrews led Dogs' scoring on Saturday with four goals while Joe Carolo netted three and Nelson Almeida two. One goal each came from Kevin Mooney and John Cordeiro. K.Francis and A. Francis replied for Pest Control. Meanwhile, BAA Wanderers hold down sole possession of first place in the A Division with maximum points from their three games. Defending champions Robin Hood are level on seven points with Lobster Pot, both teams with two wins and a draw in what is already shaping up to be an exciting league race.

This weekend is a big one for Commercial League teams as they will be pitted against the Premier and First Division sides in the first round of the FA Cup.

The top three teams from last season, Robin Hood, Fire Service and BAA Wanderers have all avoided Premier clubss with Fire and BAA playing each other and Robin Hood meeting Prison Officers. However, Lobster Pot have the chance to inflict the first big upset when they meet struggling St. David's.

Standings, see Scoreboard BALL HOCKEY HOC The second annual ball hockey tournament for the Robin Hood Cup is set to get underway at Pembroke Community Centre this Saturday.

A player draft was held last Thursday to determine the make-up of the four teams and according to Bermuda Ball Hockey Association commissioner Tom Murray "all the teams are evenly matched.'' One team, the Islanders, however, could be without their captain Kirby Smith who suffered an injury during exhibition play over the weekend.

Saturday's first round-robin game is scheduled for 9.30 a.m.