MUCH like Saleem Mukuddem felt when he was slapped with a one-match ban and fine at the World Cup, executives on Bermuda Cricket Board might be of the opinion that they were given a raw deal this week — by this newspaper.

No doubt those who received an all-expenses paid trip to tomorrow’s World Cup final in Barbados felt it was no less than they deserved, given the work that was undertaken behind the scenes in Bermuda’s own cup campaign.

But we suspect they’d have preferred if details of the ‘freebies’ hadn’t been splashed across the sports pages of The Royal Gazette.

Sorry guys, but we and — judging from some of the telephone calls and e-mails received since the article appeared — the general public believe there was simply no justification in squandering taxpayers’ money on what essentially amounts to a ‘trip for the boys’.

Regardless of how many unpaid hours members of the executive have put in during the entire World Cup adventure, a non-profit making organisation such as the BCB which relies almost entirely on public funds and sponsors to pay its day to day expenses can’t be handing out air tickets and hotel accommodation for a trip which serves in no way to enhance development of the sport.

What on earth were they thinking?

Just weeks after a whole host of BCB executives, selectors and Government representatives made the trip to Trinidad to watch Bermuda’s three group games — many at the taxpayers’ expense - did they seriously think some of the same folk were deserving of another freebie?

Weren’t they acutely aware that when almost two years ago Government decided to invest in this national sport to the tune of $11 million over five years, there were many in the community who believed such a massive donation could have been used for far more pressing matters, i.e. housing, education, combating crime . . .

Watching a chunk of that $11 million get burned up in hotel and air fare costs will hardly have reassured them that it was money well spent.

As one reporter in this office pointed out yesterday, for the same money spent on executive jaunts in the past month, the Board could have run a youth cricket programme for the entire summer . . . and got change!

Given Bermuda’s less than inspiring performance at the World Cup, if cricket’s going to build on that experience and be better prepared for qualification and hopefully participation in the next tournament in four years’ time, it’s going to need all of the public support it can get.

If this week’s events are a sign of things to come, such support is unlikely to be forthcoming.

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FOR as long as we can remember, footballers and football fans on this Island have been crying out for a higher standard of play.

Well, thanks to two of the very best players we’ve produced over the past ten years or more, we’re about to get it.

Shaun Goater and Kyle Lightbourne, along with Paul Scope who was no slouch on the soccer field himself, are the brains behind the Bermuda Hogges, a semi-pro outfit who make their debut at National Sports Centre tonight in the United Soccer League against visiting Harrisburg City Islanders.

Harrisburg might not be the best side to have graced the NSC in recent years, but they certainly won’t be the worst.

As might be expected, they’ll bring a brand of football far superior to anything we can witness in our own Premier League and the Hogges, a virtual carbon copy of our senior national team, will have to play some pretty good ball to start their campaign on a winning note.

Tonight’s result, however, isn’t nearly as significant as the fact that Bermuda now have a team to which young players can aspire to be a part of, and those already selected can use as a stepping stone to a potentially lucrative and successful professional career.

Hopefully the Hogges can take local football to a whole new level, and as such they deserve the support of everyone within what BFA boss Larry Mussenden fondly refers to as the ‘football family.’

While Shaun, Kyle and Paul would dearly love to mark their team’s first-ever match with victory, a packed house at the NSC would likely give them even more satisfaction.

It’s no less than they deserve.

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THE new organising committee for the May 24 Marathon Derby say they’d like to see a record entry of 1,000 runners this year.

Judging from the entry deadline they’ve set, they’re going the wrong way about it.

According to a notice posted for the first time in today’s Club Call section of this newspaper, runners have only until Monday to decide whether they want to compete. If they decide after that date, it’ll cost them another ten dollars.

Until yesterday nobody even knew entry forms were available.

Another race rip-off!

Runners such as this correspondent haven’t even started their training yet, let alone decided whether they’ll make it to the start line or not.

There’s absolutely no reason why the entry deadline can’t be set at latest a week before the race. Anything earlier is simply an attempt to extract extra cash from competitors for what is supposed to be a non-profit making event.