Sports Minister Randy Horton has assured Bermuda's sporting community that it will be receiving its fair share of the Budget this year.

Amid concerns that funds allocated to the Island's sports were being cut this year, he explained that the $4.1 million drop in his ministry's budget for 2002, when compared to 2001, is because certain government departments which were once under his portfolio have been moved to other ministries - and that is the portion of the Budget allocated to them.

"Our budget has not been cut. Sports is getting the same amount as last year. What has happened is that there are departments which were under Community and Cultural Affairs (part of Horton's ministry) but which have now been moved. That's all," he said yesterday.

The minister also elaborated on the $249,000 allocation under the heading "sports award programme".

He said this money was not just for the annual awards ceremony - held last Saturday - as some people concluded.

"Before, the sports awards programme was only the annual Sports Awards ceremony but now it has been expanded to include the Junior Athletes Programme, the Elite Athletes Programme, marketing and other things. Before these programmes were listed under different headings," noted the minister.

Promising to disclose his 2002 plans for sports when he makes his budgetary speech next week, Horton remained steadfast that "sports has nothing to worry about".

In closing he quipped: "I would have liked to have had more money but I am going to make do with what I got."