Jamal Hart is hopeful that his season of despair will turn a corner when he takes to the starting line at Port Royal Golf Course in the CAC Cross-Country Championships this Sunday.

Hart, who is appearing in his seventh championship, was a leading concern to make the six-man squad, after struggling with hamstring injuries and failing to make the qualifying standard set by national coach Gerry Swan.

But the 32-year-old was given a vote of confidence when the squad was announced on Saturday, as he was confirmed to join Kavin Smith, Jay Donawa, Tracy Wright, Mark Albouy and Mitchell DeShields.

"Three of the guys met the qualifying time (Smith, Donawa and Wright) and I suppose that because the the first four are to count from the six-man team, I was picked on merit," Hart said.

Hart's injuries also kept him out of the national championships last month but he says that he has made "great progress" since. "I feel strong and confident of a good run," he added, "but I would like to have had more races under my belt."

Bermuda can expect a stiff challenge from Mexico, the perennial favourites, and Jamaica. The other countries confirmed to take part in the event, which will feature juniors and seniors, include Aruba, Bahamas, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Venezuela and US Virgin Islands.

It was expected that Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Dominican Republic would be among the entrants but numbers are still up from 1995 when Bermuda last hosted the event.

"We have all of the top teams that normally compete, the ones who are always in the top five are there, and so it will be a good competition as usual," said president of Bermuda Track and Field Association Judith Simmons. "We also have some who didn't come before, so it's a good thing for the event."

The junior side of the event carries great significance for Hart, who does not figure to be a Bermuda runner for much longer.

Richard Walcott, Chayce Smith, Henry Talbot and Mark Morrison were selected for the junior men, who will race at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday while Shar-dae Whitter, Tiffany Eatherley, Jenny Palmer and Danielle Watson will comprise the junior women's team. They will race at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. Bermuda does not have a senior women's team.

"I feel this is a stepping stone for the overall development of the sport," Hart said. "Competing against other islands and athletes in their age bracket will show them where they stand. Some have had exposure through CARIFTA but cross-country is a whole different animal. But I'm impressed with the commitment they have made to training."

The national squad has been in training since early September and one eager invitee has reason now to put that practice to good use.

Sylvester Jean-Pierre, of Barbados, who has lived here for 16 years, was given permission to train with the squad by Swan, and this week he learned that he will represent his country for the first time at the tender age of 43!

"Their cross-country championships finished on Sunday," he said. "They had asked me to send my stats and they would keep me posted. They picked the team yesterday and decided that instead of sending two seniors and a junior, they would send one senior and a junior to join me."

Jean-Pierre, who only started running in 1990 at the bequest of Monica Massey, has been a top performer in the masters category, and was recently third in the national cross-country championships. "I never dreamt this would happen but they say good things come to those who wait," he said.