disputes in sport.

Sports Minister Dennis Lister confirmed he was planning to set up the Dispute Resolution Panel, a project mentioned in last week's Throne Speech.

Damaging disputes have blighted local sports over recent months.

During the summer, the Western Counties were unable to determine a winner of their third round game because of an ineligibile player -- just the sort of dispute the panel could have helped with.

And earlier this year, the domestic soccer season ended in confusion after some clubs boycotted matches in protest at action taken by the Bermuda Football Association to clamp down on on-field violence.

"This scheme would be of immense assistance to organisations who were unable to resolve such disputes,'' said Lister. Lister plans to work with the sport's national governing bodies to explore how the trouble-shooting panel can be set up.

BFA president Neville Tyrrell supported the project. "I think it's a very good idea because there are some national sporting governing bodies who don't have a mechanism for dealing with their affiliates. We (the BFA) have a process in place but it can always been improved and we would like to see what Government has to offer,'' he said.

"We certainly encourage moves such as this by them and this particular scheme will give us and other organisations additional options to consider, should any dispute become difficult to resolve.'' Two weeks ago a seminar was held on the Island for all of local sport's governing bodies, all 35 being invited, and it proved to be a tremendous success.

Its focus was a discussion about ways of dealing with disputes that various organisations were unable to settle themselves, combined with the benefits of organisations becoming incorporated so that their liabilities could be protected.

"The dispute resolution scheme idea came about because in the short time that I have been minister I have been called on numerous occasions to get involved in disputes that I feel that don't necessary involve the ministry but the affiliates and their associations,'' said Lister.

"And what we have recognised is that in many instances there really is not in place any means or recourse to take it through some proper channels and we are looking at a medium to establish such a panel.'' The idea of having associations consider becoming incorporated is something that the minister viewed as being a priority as it was alleviated many problems that could appear in the future.

"In making contact with many of the overseas sporting organisations we have found out that quite a few of the jurisdictions require that their sporting governing bodies recognise the importance of having their organisations incorporated for their own protection,'' said the minister.

"It is important for them to take steps to cover any liability against them.

We all understand the logic behind this and what I am trying to do is to get our local organisations to appreciate that the day of operating like they have done in the past is no longer a wise thing to do.'' Additionally, it was announced that Government will in the near future table a policy on the creation of a Bermuda Hall of Game for worthy sports persons.

The committee, chaired by MP Randy Horton, has been looking into that for the past few months now according to Lister and a lot of progress has been made into having it become a reality.

SPORTS SP