"If we accept that racism exists and that there is a capacity for racism in the human spirit then we must accept that racism pervades every aspect of life in the community.'' -- Director of Youth and Sport Mr. Anthony Roberts.

It has long been said of sports that "the only race that matters is the race to the finish line'', but the reality in Bermuda is that sports suffers from racism as much as other facets of community life.

This is due in part to historical factors and in part to class differences, say observers and administrators of the sporting scene.

And they say that Bermuda should see some improvement in integration as young people playing all sports grow into adulthood.

But if past experience is any guide, the road is likely to be long and uphill.

As Shadow Minister of Youth and Sport Mr. Nelson Bascome says: "Racism is one of those topics that Bermudians are just starting to address. It is difficult because there is so much pain, resentment and history involved.'' Mr. Roberts agreed that "most people find it difficult to talk about'', and said a reason for this was that "racism has subtle forms of manifestation''.

Most sports were introduced to Bermuda through the Island's strong military presence which began with the British in 1778 and continued with the Americans and Canadians later on.

Sports such as soccer and cricket were originally organised and played by whites but are now almost completely dominated by blacks in the roles of spectators and participants.

There are other sports which continue to have a strong white following such as rugby, squash, swimming and sailing and they originally increased in popularity amongst whites on the Island as desegregation came into effect.

Historians argue that this was because the established class did not want to mix with the black working class.

They say this explains why many whites who were playing soccer and cricket when desegregation came into effect started drifting out as blacks moved in.

Mr. Bascome said he agreed with this theory and added that this was true in other sports later on as well.

Mr. Bascome said he had noticed that some sports like bowling began with predominantly white leagues but as blacks filtered on to teams whites left to form other teams and even other leagues.

Racism was felt in other areas of sport also. When the Government tennis courts became desegregated in 1955, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Club refused to play there and moved to The Princess.

The growth of other sports came at the time of this exodus. By 1995 there were only about half a dozen white players in soccer's top division. Mr. Roberts said this exodus explained why there were very few white clubs now.

But local rugby player Mr. Derek Hurdle said he wished to make it clear that it was not as if all the whites stopped playing these sports and started playing others overnight.

He stressed that when he started playing rugby for Teachers Rugby Football Club in 1968 there were other black players in the sport and other sports had a mix of players.

"Historically,'' Mr. Roberts explained, "participation in sports activity in Bermuda was pretty much a decision based on your exposure, your social standing and awareness levels.'' Mr. Roberts explained that for many years people's selection of sport was based on their race because sports were racially segregated and it was not until 1960 that sport began to take on the complexion it had today.

Racial segregation was practised despite the abolition of slavery in 1834.

Soccer, for example, took almost 130 years to become desegregated with separate black and white leagues up until 1963. The same was true of most other sports.

However Mr. Bascome pointed out that even when there were mixed teams of blacks and whites playing together there was very little mixing outside of the game.

Mr. Roberts echoed this in his feelings about Bermudians in the 1990s: "We work together but at the end of the day we go our separate ways and our friendships identify this.'' Sports dominated by whites now enjoyed financial and leadership success while soccer and cricket appeared to suffer, said Ms Pamela Gordon who recently moved to the Environment Ministry after being Minister of Youth Development for about five years.

She said when black dominated sporting organisations had difficulty in getting financial assistance from the community they felt it was because of racism.

However the reason they were not getting the support, she explained, was that businesses which gave money to sport were looking for the best value for money. "They are looking for organisations with accountability...

organisations which can show where they want to go and what they want to see done,'' she said.

She said the real racial undertone came when black dominated sporting organisations turned down offers of assistance because they felt threatened that someone was going to take everything away from them.

The fact that this help came as much from whites as it did blacks underlined the racial tension which has existed in sport because of its history.

The problem existed when sport leaders who were the driving forces back in the segregated 1960s remained in control today, said Ms Gordon. She said these attitudes must be shifted for the country to move on.

Mr. Bascome said he could remember certain people's attitudes when he was a small child playing sports such as soccer.

He said although he participated in sports for healthy competition, the challenge from the coaches sometimes was "don't let those white guys beat you''.

He explained that the feeling a black team got when they played a white team was that it was a chance to beat the whites and that was what personified sport for a long time in Bermuda.

Mr. Bascome said racism still existed in sport today and you could hear it in the supporter's stands at a soccer game. It came from the resentment older supporters felt when they saw a white club win with the aid of black players.

Mr. Hurdle said his colour was referred to on occasion during his career.

"But then again,'' he joked, "so was the notion that I was born out of wedlock''.

Mr. Hurdle explained that this tended to be during the heat of the game when tempers flared. He noted with some amusement that his white teammates would take more offence to such comments than he did.

"There were several times when players on my team would grab the person who had said something and bring them over after the game so that they could apologise to me.'' Since he began playing he has risen up through the hierarchy of local rugby and admitted that he had seen elements of bias in the sport when it came to the area of selection.

As a Bermudian, he explained, he has looked toward getting more and more Bermudians on the national team but has found his efforts thwarted by the white ex-patriate leadership majority in the sport.

Although such decisions were not based on colour, he said, there was favouritism shown on the grounds of nationality.

Mr. Roberts said he wished to make it absolutely clear that the department had not received any complaints from organisations or individuals who felt "hard done by in decisions regarding race'' either in regards to access to a certain sport or selection for international representation.

He explained the Department of Youth Development was now "attempting to break people out of the moulds which existed when sports were racially segregated.'' Ms Gordon agreed and said Government has worked hard to change people's perceptions of sport and has tried to show them that sports are just that -- sport, nothing else.

To do this the Department has encouraged sporting bodies to get out and advertise so as to encourage broader participation which should lead to sports reflecting a more accurate balance than a domination in any one direction.

Mr. Hurdle agreed and admitted there was a lack of blacks playing rugby in Bermuda which reflected a world-wide problem because blacks did not seem to gravitate toward the sport but he felt this could be changed.

He said he feels the common perception in Bermuda at the moment is that only expatriates and "crazy Bermudians'' play the sport.

If the Caribbean championships could be held here, he said, a lot more people would get interested because they would see teams with a dominance of black players playing rugby.

He admitted that as one of the few black players in the sport in 1977 he found it strange to see teams made up entirely of blacks at the Caribbean championships then.

Trinidad hosts the competition now, he said, and they have seen four clubs in 1981 become 12 clubs today.

This practice could be stretched to encompass other sports as well.

Looking at tournaments Bermuda hosted at the moment he said they did little to help because the people in the tournaments meant nothing to black Bermudians which was reflected by the crowds at these events which were comprised primarily of white ex-patriates.

But while there are "remnants of the past and a recognition of a divide'' there is also faith for the future which will come from spending time with the youth stressed Mr. Roberts.

He said he hoped the youth of today "will ignore the kind of subliminal messages which come from grandparents and others and will follow their own lead based on their own experiences''.

Race and sports in Bermuda Parents' lifestyles were sending a subliminal or subtle message to their children even though they did not come out and say what they believed in an overt act of racism.

"Parents are still guided by their racial past and will direct their children in the paths they were comfortable with.'' "The way we go about our business sends strong suggestions of what we favour and disfavour to our children.'' "This is because when we are comfortable in a social setting it becomes difficult to be in another setting where different social backgrounds and persuasions come together.'' To change people's perceptions the department were focusing on the youth by exposing them to the opportunities available on the Island.

"Sports are now open to the public and they should go ahead and enjoy them.'' This was clear, Mr. Roberts stressed, from the department's Leisure Time Activities publication which was distributed throughout schools and identified contacts for people who wanted to get involved in sports.

The department's camp programmes had as their theme the idea of exposing the youth to the different opportunities that were available "to try and break down the barriers to opportunity'', he added.

Mr. Roberts said he had a lot of faith in the youth who were growing up in a more desegregated environment and felt that the "friendships our children make in school will make an easier assimilation into their social life later on than has been the case in the past''.

"As this happens there will be more social and racial integration in this and other aspects of community life.''