Are Bermuda?s athletes being groomed just to compete or to win internationally?

Former president of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) David Lambert finished his term last night echoing this grave concern.

Against the backdrop of several sporting organisations constantly crying out for financial assistance, particularly in undertaking their international campaigns, he queried the Island?s mission on the world stage.

?What we must start looking at, as a country, is are we preparing our athletes simply to participate or to win? There?s a big difference ? a big one,? declared Lambert, citing the current plight of the cash-strapped national cricket squad readying itself for the ICC Trophy in Ireland.

Saying it?s ?not fair to the cricketers? to be in such a predicament ? after having advanced to the 2007 World Cup qualifier ? the outgoing tennis chief urged that funding provisions be assured for any individual or team at international level.

?We need to have a sports lottery. I?m a strong advocate of that. I?ve spoken to a lot of other presidents about it. The sporting bodies must work with Government to find a way to always have funds there for international games,? he continued.

?I?m not talking about domestic tournaments. I?m talking about anyone ? whether it?s tennis, soccer, cricket, swimming, whatever ? who has reached a level of international representation. If people are going to represent Bermuda we should not be stressing and worrying about ?Can we send this team??.

?A lot of times in the BLTA we?re crossing our fingers and hoping a particular company comes through (with sponsorship). We should not be worrying about sending a team away to represent Bermuda when they have done all of the hard work in preparing and training and, sometimes, in qualifying if they have to do that.

?I feel very strongly that if athletes have done the hard work to reach the international standard then they have to go (to the event).

?Athletes must know that once they reach that level and are selected that there will be no doubt about them going,? he stated.

?If I was training and working hard to get to national or international level and the BLTA said they were going to send me to a number of tournaments overseas, then three weeks before I leave I don?t want to hear ?Hey, you aren?t going?.

?That?s very disappointing and I?m using a nice word to describe how you feel when that happens because I?ve experienced it.

?I would love to sit down with the powers of the day ? the finance minister, the sports minister, in fact the entire Cabinet ? to express the importance of this issue. I?m not alone in this. It?s a concern I share with a lot of other presidents.?

A perplexed Lambert could not understand why, despite this being an affluent society, people refuse to give to sport. He disclosed that last year, when the Island?s senior Davis Cup team was in danger of not playing in that tournament because of a lack of money, he was loath to admit the reason to the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

?I was embarrassed to tell Gustavo Granitto (ITF development officer for the Caribbean) that we had no money. We were talking about $13,750,? recalled the tennis veteran.

?He has been to Bermuda and he knows Bermuda is a wealthy country. He couldn?t understand it.?

Lambert warned that, if sport continues to be fraught with financial worries, Bermuda could lose out on generations of potential.

?Bermuda has a lot of talent in all sports but we don?t have enough money to exploit that talent.?

As an example, he noted that the Island?s top junior tennis players should be taking lessons five times a week but not many can afford it.

?I give as much free time as I can to our top juniors but I get to the point where I have to make some money. It?s a business and that?s the reality but I try to mix helping the juniors with giving lessons to people who pay,? he explained.

The former BLTA leader said that other than this problem he was leaving office feeling ?very comfortable? with the Island?s tennis structure and development.

Lambert added that if he had succeeded as president it was ?because I had a very proactive group of people around me. I don?t want anyone to think I did it by myself?.

He will be succeeded by Ross Hillen, who was elected unopposed to tennis? top job last night.