plan to move to a purpose built facility at the National Sports Centre.

However, a move might come with a price with the Sport Centre's trustees saying they are to ask Bermuda Hockey Federation to consider contributing towards the cost.

Currently Bermuda is a poor relation among hockey playing nations in the region and throughout the world.

While Island players are turning out on grass at Nationals in Devonshire their Caribbean counterparts and the majority of other countries who play the sport are turning out on hi-tech artificial pitches.

The BHF hope that by moving to the National Sports Centre they can elevate the status of the game on the Island and also attract international tournaments to the country.

The Federation is currently in discussion with Montessori Academy, which has bought the Nationals venue, over what happens in the short term.

But president Michael Elton said the long term aim was to move to a new home.

"Our situation with Nationals pretty much mirrors the rugby, at least this current playing season,'' he said. "Both Nationals and Montessori have assured us the use of the playing pitch until the end of the season. They seem anxious to talk to us about use of the grass facility beyond this season. We have only verbally heard what their plan is and it may pose some problems.'' Elton went on: "Obviously hockey's long-term future lies with a quality hockey pitch and the ideal modern surface is the artificial surface so the future really lies with the National Sports Centre.'' Elton attended the recent Sports Governing Bodies conference and said he was interested to hear how matters were progressing.

"The Director of Sport, Tony Roberts and the chairman of the trustees Donald Lines and the head architect gave a presentation which basically reiterated the incoming Government's redefined priorities,'' he said.

Priority one was to complete the new northern fields, provide a pavilion and a grandstand over the existing pitch.

Priority two was to provide the multi-purpose artificial surface and priority three was the completion of the design stage of the centre core complex.

"They gave a presentation to that effect basically saying that priority number one they will have achieved by the end of this year and their target is to get the centre core design completed by the end of this year as well,'' Elton said. "We are a little bit concerned that the provision of the artificial playing surface appears to be somewhat in limbo and of course they referred pretty much directly to the funding aspect of the remainder of the complex.'' Elton said for the game to progress in Bermuda things had to change. At present players representing the Island abroad were at a disadvantage before matches even began because they were not used to the international standard surfaces.

And tournaments were not going to be attracted here until Bermuda had a facility worthy of staging them.

"From hockey's point of view if the game is going to move ahead in any significant way here we have to get onto a modern artificial playing surface and I think that is our best bet,'' he said.

Deputy chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Sports Centre, Charlie Marshall, said talks had been held with not only hockey but other sports too over the matter of funding for the venue.

"We have asked all the national bodies to contribute. Don't think that hockey is on its own,'' he said. "We want to work with the national bodies and where there is funding available and where they can assist us with this funding then obviously this is something we will entertain.''