The long-running impasse between Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) and Mid-Island Striders could soon be over.

On Thursday night, BTFA members voted to extend a hand to the athletics club to see if the myriad of contentious issues over which they have battled can be resolved and if Mid-Island can enter the BTFA fold.

?A committee is going to talk with the Mid-Island Striders and try to get things all ironed out and hopefully they will be coming aboard. It all depends on them (Mid-Island),? said a veteran athletics administrator who attended the delayed 2004 annual general meeting.

Sources told yesterday that, though some of the BTFA hierarchy favoured keeping Mid-Island out in the cold, the general membership lobbied for reconciliation with the vocal club and certain persons even volunteered to spearhead that effort.

?The matter was put before the general body and it was decided it would be looked into to try and sort the problem out,? explained another affiliate representative.

Mid-Island coach Bill Euler welcomed the news albeit with some reservation.

?We would be delighted at the chance to become a member of the BTFA but I say this with some hesitance because of how long this process has taken,? he said.

?We will await communication from the BTFA regarding the way forward on this matter.?

Mid-Island have been in the vanguard of criticism of the national athletics governing body, particularly regarding national squad selection policies.

During Thursday night?s three-hour session, four new directors ? Clarence Smith, Nicole Caines, Stanley Williams and Michelle Williams ? were also elected to serve two-year terms. Two will replace Roger Lee and Mike Watson who stepped down half-way through their terms due to work and personal commitments while the other two will fill places that were previously vacant on the seven-member board.

The four will join president Judy Simmons, vice-president Wayne Raynor and Pat Lake ? who are also midway into their two-year terms ? to make up the board?s new configuration. Barring any delays, the BTFA should hold their 2005 annual general meeting late in the year.

Simmons presented certain financial statements to members but, disclosed one source, those for 2003 onwards were still unavailable.