The Carifta stand-off between the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) and Mid-Island Striders is headed to arbitration.

This follows what Mid-Island?s coach Bill Euler described as a ?heated? meeting between representatives of the two organisations yesterday at the Ministry of Sports. The crux of the hour-long dialogue was that the BTFA remained unmoved from their stance that Mid-Island athletes be excluded from Carifta for not meeting qualification requirements.

?It wasn?t pretty. It was a very heated discussion. We presented our case and they (BTFA) still said ?no?,? Euler told .

He was accompanied to the ministry by fellow coaches Renalda Swan and Tony Bean and club president Dave Matthew while BTFA president Judy Simmons, national athletics coach Gerry Swan and BTFA director Wayne Raynor represented the national governing body.

Sports Minister Dale Butler, who convened the meeting, was joined by Shadow Minister of Sports Jon Brunson and Director of Youth and Sports Brenton Roberts.

Given the continuing impasse, it was suggested the issue be brought before the ministry?s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) council for arbitration which Mid-Island will pursue by filing the necessary paperwork early next week.

?We?re disappointed and sad that it?s come down to this but we?re looking into arbitration. We?ll continue training and doing our best and take things one step at a time,? said the club coach.

In an interesting twist, BTFA president Judy Simmons is the ADR chairman and would therefore have to stand down from Mid-Island?s hearing.

At the heart of Mid-Island?s argument is 400-metre runner Whitney Matthew. The 16-year-old ran a personal best qualifying time of 58.23 seconds at an indoor competition in New York last month.

However, Euler said the BTFA ? who first denied Mid-Island?s athletes entry into the national training programme because they failed to join by last December 15 ? were now sticking to the point that Matthew could still not be considered because indoor times were not recognised as Carifta is an outdoor competition.

The Mid-Island delegation countered by declaring that the times of overseas athletes who are likely to represent the Island would be indoor times too given that it?s winter now in North America.

?They (BTFA) said they would use what those athletes did (outdoors) last year because they can?t run in snow but Carifta rules say you have to qualify within the year of the Games,? said Euler.

?Also, if they are going to use last year?s marks then Whitney met the ?A? standard last summer.?

The coach said Shadow Minister Brunson queried whether Matthew could not be considered under a clause in the BTFA Handbook.

The National Athletics Programme section of that document says ?athletes with exceptional athletic ability, who are recognised after the deadline has passed and would like to join the national training squad, will be given special consideration by the Board of Directors, whether or not they belong to a club?.

The BTFA maintained it was ultimately their decision and that they could decide that in an instant as a Board member was present.

Euler and company also questioned ? if BTFA plans to include athletes on Bermuda?s squad who have not met but are close to the qualifying standards ? why Mid-Island athletes who are in the same position cannot be considered. The BTFA representatives apparently replied that this has not yet been decided though Simmons previously indicated to the media that such persons would be included.

Mid-Island officials also expressed displeasure in the manner in which the BTFA have treated them, noting they have received no written correspondence on anything. In addition, Euler revealed that their president met with Simmons last Friday and she promised to have BTFA?s executive committee reconsider letting Whitney Matthew onto the national squad.

?Mrs. Simmons told our president that if we keep our mouths shut she would meet with her executive committee and get back to him that evening and we never heard anything at all.?

However, in a meeting with other parties on the issue last Wednesday, Mid-Island learnt of an e-mail by Simmons, dated March 8, which stated BTFA directors had unanimously decided to exclude all Mid-Island?s athletes from the Games.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister Butler refused to discuss the meeting yesterday, limiting himself to the following statement:

?The Shadow Minister and I have been meeting with the affected parties in the best interest of Bermuda and we?re making progress. It?s been a rocky road but by next Friday we should bring this matter to an end.?

Both Brunson and Simmons declined any comment.