Bermuda Track and Field Association have defended their decision to charge a levy for the first race of the KPMG Junior Series, saying such funds are "essential" to keep the sport running.

The series is put on by the Mid Atlantic Athletic Club and sponsored by KPMG and for the first time on Sunday entry fees were waived in order to boost numbers.

However, the BTFA said they were eligible to 25 percent of what fees were normally received, a move that upset some of those connected with the event.

Explaining the BTFA's stance, Annette Hallett, an Association director and vice-president of MAAC, said any suggestion of impropriety was way off the mark.

"We request as part of the sanctioning process that the entry forms be submitted to the BTFA for final approval prior to being put in the shops," she said. "We actually didn't receive a form from the KPMG race until, I believe, the Friday of the week before. That advised us that the fee had been waived. Part of the sanctioning process and part of the agreement with the BTFA is that the levy is imposed on all races, representing 25 percent of the income of the race.

"Having gone ahead and made a change, a fairly significant one, without coming to the BTFA first, placed us in the situation of saying that this was not what we had agreed to when we agreed to the sanction."

Hallett said she called Marcia DeCouto of KPMG and explained the situation, after which she was told the sponsors were more than happy to pay the levy.

"I said that is absolutely fine. I will go back to the board and explain exactly what has happened and we will advise you of what levy will be imposed," she said. "That hasn't actually been decided at the moment. We haven't actually sat down and had that meeting."

Hallett said DeCouto was concerned the race would not go ahead but was assured it would and Hallett herself attended with the certificate of sanction.

"There isn't really anything untoward at all," she said. "This was merely a matter of someone taking a course of action which in fact was not part of the agreement.

"There was never any suggestion that the BTFA would not allow the race to go ahead.

"I am only person who spoke with Miss DeCouto on this and at no point did I tell her that the race would not be able to go ahead."

Hallett said the BTFA were not in a position to forget the levy, as such funds were the lifeblood of the organisation.

"The BTFA is the national governing body. If you don't have a national governing body the sport cannot be represented internationally," she said. "If we want athletes to compete overseas we have to have a national governing body. That costs money; there are certain things we have to have."

In order to be a `member in good standing' with the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) the BTFA had to meet certain requirements, she said.

"We have to have an office, electronic media, an active national youth development programme, a national coach and all of these things cost money," Hallett said. "We do not have any source of income other than what we get as the result of asking. The Government gives a grant; it isn't enough to cover all the costs. We receive money from the international association. Again, it is a grant, it helps but it isn't enough on its own."

Hallett, who said one of the few other sources of income was the $50 fee for being registered as a BTFA athlete, added: "These (levies) are absolutely essential. Without them the BTFA will not exist. If the BTFA does not exist the sport of track and field in Bermuda will exist but it won't be able to compete overseas.

"There will no national programme, no youth development, none of things that Mrs. (Judy) Simmons (BTFA president) and the board are working so hard to preserve."