radical proposal that would add cricket, rugby, netball and field hockey to the competition in time for the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysian sports officials have enlisted the support of the Victoria organising committee, which will host the 1994 Games, in their bid to revamp the Games' current line-up of 10 sports -- aquatics, athletics, badminton, bowls, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling.

Games officials are expected to make a decision on the proposal when they hold their annual general meeting later this month in Kingston, Jamaica.

Malaysian sports minister Dato' Annuar Musa said the Games must change to meet the demands of private sector sponsors, who prefer to throw financial support behind competitions featuring team sports rather than those concentrating on individual pursuits.

"It's time for the Commonwealth Games to be more than just the friendly Games and move more to commerce and the private sector,'' said Musa.

"We do not want to be as cut-throat as the Olympics -- the Commonwealth Games is still a family -- but we need to get more flexible and change with a changing world.

"Sponsors want to see team sports in the Commonwealth Games.'' Musa, in Victoria to meet with organisers of next year's Games, has a supporter in Victoria Games Society president George Heller.

"I come from the private sector and what I've noticed is that the real world has finally interfered with the Commonwealth Games,'' Heller said.

"How the Games have achieved their fame and success in the past is fine. But now has come a time to be pragmatic and practical and bend a little.

"The Commonwealth Games Federation has to make the Games more commercially viable. And if sponsors want to see rugby or whatever in the Games that's the way it has to go.'' Until 1986, the Commonwealth Games had always been fully funded by Government.

However, private sector involvement in the Games has been growing to the extent that $43 million of Victoria's $160 million (Canadian) 1994 Games budget will come from private sources. Kuala Lumpur's 1998 Games budget of $300 million is also a public/private mix.

"The Commonwealth Games have an honourable tradition and have been successful in doing things a certain way but they face some realities and have to be more flexible as they look to the future after Victoria,'' said British Columbia sports minister Robin Blencoe, who also supports the proposal to revamp the Games.

"All the world would be sad if the Games became all razzle dazzle without the heart and soul of what has made the Commonwealth Games a meeting place for people of many colours and races who shared a common heritage. But there is room for pragmatism.

The 66 Commonwealth nations will meet for the Games in Victoria from August 18-28 next year.

CLARANCE SAUNDERS -- Celebrating Bermuda's finest Commonwealth Games moment, in the 1990 high jump final.