Having come so close to not competing due to a financial crisis, Bermuda?s Davis Cup team fly to Cost Rica today with a new hunger.

Only an 11th hour intervention by Government and anonymous donor saved the trip, which will see the Island?s four top players do battle with five other nations for a chance to gain promotion from American Zone group four.

Captain Steve Bean and number one player James Collieson, now recovered from a shoulder injury, fly to Costa Rica today where they will meet up with debutant Gavin Manders.

On Friday, Jovan Whitter and Jenson Bascome will join them in Heredia for a weekend of practice before commencing battle with Costa Rica, Barbados, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Guatemala and St. Lucia.

?I am very happy with the way the team is looking at the moment,? captain Steve Bean told

?And we are all looking forward to proving to the Bermuda public, the tennis fraternity and Government that it was worth sending us down.

?The players have been working hard, gearing up for this and we are ready to go.?

Bean said that Manders, a replacement for Ricky Mallory and the only player yet to see action in the tennis world?s premier team tournament, is in the best shape of all the players and may also be the most keen.

?When Gavin was told we may not be sending a team, he was real disappointed,? continued Bean.

?But then when he was told we were going after all, he was really elated. It has really sparked him up. He has been playing in tournaments over in Florida so he will be probably the most match-fit out of the players.?

Bascome and Whitter are training together in Philadelphia and can?t join the team until classes finish on Friday while Collieson has been the only one practising on the Island.

Each match in the event consists of two singles rubbers and one doubles, with Collieson and Bascome, number one and two respectively, likely to start the first games together.

Bean, however, is keen to blood Manders as soon as possible and may do so in a doubles rubber if the match has already been settled, whether Bermuda is two up or two down after the singles.

Bermuda only narrowly missed out on promotion last year as a defeat to the US Virgin Islands ? a first loss to that nation ? caused a surprise upset on the tournament?s final day.