Many of the larger CARIFTA Games delegations are nowhere near ready to submit their squads to the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) and will not do so until mid-March ? at the earliest.

This is despite the BTFA deadline of March 1 to participating countries and BTFA president Judy Simmons' insistence that total numbers and squad details must be forwarded by this weekend ahead of a March 8 agreement between the BTFA and host hotel, Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

At the heart of the matter is the fact that CARIFTA territories do not usually hold qualifying meets before mid to late March and even thereafter some allow for late additions to their contingents, even up to a day or two before they depart for the Games.

Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago all have CARIFTA trials next weekend and will pick their teams thereafter. Antigua has inter-schools sports on March 11-12 and will subsequently select the best of their juniors from that to compete in a qualifier.

The Bahamas ? though having held a CARIFTA qualifier last weekend ? are also using upcoming high school meets to determine who will represent that country.

"We want to bring the best team possible that's representative of The Bahamas. It's a very long time since we've been to Bermuda and we want to ensure very good performances by our athletes," president of the Bahamas Association of Athletics Associations (BAAA) Desmond Bannister told .

Steve Edwards, president of the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) of Barbados, said the earliest a list of that island's athletes would be available is March 17 ? even then it would only be a provisional squad.

"A provisional CARIFTA squad will be selected after the National Junior Championships on March 13-14. However, the selection meeting is not until March 16," he explained, stressing "the possibility of adding other names is quite likely".

"We have other events on our calendar which we have already designated ? from as far back as when our season was launched in July ? as last-chance qualifiers."

The last of these takes place on April 6 ? a mere three days before CARIFTA opens in Bermuda.

Edwards, who was surprised by the "early" deadline, said Barbados would submit the names of athletes who have qualified as well as those "who may qualify before we leave". Therefore, if any changes are necessary it "should only be a question of removing names, not adding".

However, he noted, there's "no guarantee there isn't going to be someone who will qualify that we didn't consider and that typically happens".

While "deadlines are not frivolous" the AAA head pointed out: "Within the CARIFTA family accommodation is always made (for these things) and we, as CARIFTA hosts, have always done it.

"We would expect the organising committee to understand the challenge of us being able to forward our names in advance of our trials.

"One has to bear in mind that a lot of countries' trials are later than that deadline and most countries are accustomed to being accommodated because of the CARIFTA spirit. They will expect to be able to submit their entries if trials occur after that date."

President of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) Pat Anderson said their squad ? usually the largest ? will be selected next Sunday following the trials.

He said he hoped this situation did not cause any further friction given a recent impasse over the Jamaicans being asked to pay for visas (see story on this page).

Meanwhile, Simmons remains optimistic about countries meeting the deadline, stating that Hamilton Princess has asked for all the names of athletes who will be housed there by Monday (March 8).

So far just eight Bermudians have qualified for CARIFTA and other hopefuls have a final opportunity to make the grade this weekend at the National Sports Centre.

Mid-Island Striders coach Bill Euler criticised the BTFA's rigid stance on the qualifying deadline, noting that inter-schools sports was moved up to accommodate CARIFTA and now performances there are unlikely to be given consideration.

However, he is still unclear about the matter given what Simmons apparently told physical education teachers last November when asked if athletes could qualify after the March 6-7 meet.

"I asked if athletes could qualify at inter-schools sports and she (Simmons) said they would not be accepted but when someone else put forward the scenario a little differently she said if the particular athlete was training with the national squad exceptions would be made.

"Those are her words. All the teachers were there," he said.