An athletics team comprising only four people will represent Bermuda at this year?s CAC Games, with the head of the sport?s governing body suggesting yesterday that the cupboard at senior level is depressingly bare.

Bermuda Track and Field Association president Clarence Smith admitted he was disappointed with the size of the squad travelling to Cartagena, Colombia today ? not to mention the embarrassingly low turn-out at the National Athletic Championships last month.

Deon Brangman (High Jump), Michael Donawa (800 metres), Akila (200 metres) and Arantxa King (Long Jump) are the four selected athletes, with another talented long-jumper Latroya Darrell having already decided to concentrate on the junior version of the Games which begin in Trinidad this weekend.

It was also revealed yesterday that controversial national coach Gerry Swan will not join up with the senior team, but will remain with the juniors in Trinidad before flying home ? allowing his assistant Devon Bean to go in his stead.

?We do have a big problem with our senior athletics programme,? said Smith, who assumed the BTFA hotseat in March, taking over from the long-serving Judy Simmons.

?There is a lot going on and plenty of talent at a junior level ? but we have real trouble keeping these kids interested in the sport after they reach the age of 16.

?This problem is certainly not unique to athletics. I think all sports in Bermuda suffer from this problem to a certain extent and the key to my job is finding a way to change this.

?So yes, the National Championships were not as well advertised or as well run as I would have liked ? they haven?t been in very good shape for some time ? and as we move towards the beginning of the season in August, me and my executive are going to work hard to see if we can try and change this.

?We?re certainly up against it. The emphasis on track in the schools is nowhere near where we need it to be, and let?s face it, we will not get anywhere unless we have more well-qualified coaches working with our athletes, keeping them motivated and training them hard.

?But I certainly do not think it is an insurmountable task by any means.?

Smith vehemently denied that his assessment of the state of senior athletics was an indirect criticism of his predecessor.

?I am not for a second suggesting that Judy did a bad job ? far from it,? he said.

?She did a very good job ? in her way ? and was running things at the BTFA when there were very few other people willing to do so. But now it?s my job to take the BTFA further forward.?

Meanwhile, Smith was prepared to confirm reports that two of his directors had recently stood down ? though he rejected rumours that treasurer Nicole Caines as well as Terry Durrant had left because they were unhappy with his management style.

?I?ve hear those rumours and I can state categorically that they?re just not true,? he said.

?Both Terry and Nicole wanted to continue, but have found it increasingly difficult to devote the sort of time they would like to their roles. Nicole has just started a job at the Bermuda Monetary Authority and that was taking up most of her life.

?So, Bob Oliver is in the process of taking over as treasurer and Otis Robinson has been elected as a new director ? and everything carries on as normal.?