drawn an angry response from the Bermuda Track and Field Association.

BTFA president Judith Simmons yesterday questioned the motives of the Mid Atlantic Athletic Club, whose criticism of the governing body was outlined in their club's April newsletter and reported in The Royal Gazette last week.

Simmons said the BTFA executive met with MAAC president Brett Forgesson and vice president Joanne Sutherland on March 23 to hear their concerns about the sport in Bermuda and to discuss a new road racing series.

"It is therefore incomprehensible that prior to receiving a fax from Forgesson outlining a proposal for a race series on April 24, 1998 we received a copy of MAAC's newsletter with the front page heading "Where is the BTFA leading our sport?'' Simmons said in a prepared statement.

"Why on the one hand are we sitting down talking about concerns in our sport and at the same time MAAC is preparing to break away behind our backs? "Knowing what we now know, how do we continue the dialogue in good faith? Or was the plan from inception never to resolve the issues but to create even more? These questions need to be answered before we can move on.'' Forgesson stressed last week that the article was intended as a discussion paper among MAAC members.

Simmons also took exception to claims by former BTFA George Sutherland that "not enough attention is paid to road running by the BTFA.'' "At no time did Mr. Sutherland give a written report on the decline of numbers in races held or express any concerns on the state of road running in Bermuda,'' Simmons said.

Forgesson has also objected to the fact that 20 per cent of the MAAC income on a race must go to the BTFA as an administrative levy.

"They estimate (it) is between $2,000 and $3,000 per year,'' Simmons said.

"If this amount represents 20 per cent of the gross intake and the majority of their races are sponsored, how is the other 80 per cent or $8,000 to $12,000 per year that MAAC receives being spent?''