NEW millennium, new start.

That was the mood almost a year ago as sports bodies in Bermuda bid farewell to an often turbulent and non too successful ending to the 20th century.

But has that much changed in 2000? Not really. In fact, looking back most would probably relish the chance to start over again.

Take out the Olympic success of sailor Peter Bromby, and the sports columns of this newspaper and others have often been preoccupied with hard-luck stories and tales of administrational blunder.

Talent continues to abound in Bermuda, but too often has failed to flourish through no fault of the athletes themselves but nearly always through the much-maligned governing bodies.

Take Bermuda Track and Field Association -- perhaps the best (worst) example of a leader without plan or purpose.

If we believed athletics -- a source of great pride among Bermudians during the 1970s, '80s and early '90s -- had reached its lowest ebb last year, we were wrong. In 2000, the sport sunk to new depths.

Track meets attracted perhaps two competitors, three at best, in each event, and races which once filled the roads with hundreds of runners were lucky to lure a few dozen.

Brian Wellman, nudging ever closer to retirement, failed to qualify for the triple jump final at this year's Olympics, and sprinter Xavier James apart, no other athlete came even close to making the trip Down Under.

Capping it all, the Bank of Butterfield yanked their sponsorship from the biggest annual event, International Race Weekend, and surprise, surprise, the BTFA couldn't find a replacement.

Without volunteer stalwarts such as Roger Lambert and Roger Lee, athletics would be in even worse straits. But sadly, there's not more of their ilk within the administration to force the necessary change.

Soccer, our accepted national sport, also failed to deliver in 2000.

Spectator interest continued to decline, and we all know the reasons why.

By and large, the standard of play showed few signs of improvement, but more significantly the threat of violence, both on and off the field, the foul language that abounds and a growing cloud of marijuana smoke, continued to deter would-be fans.

Bermuda Football Association, while not responsible for the social ills which seem to afflict their sport more than most, did little to help their own cause.

Confusion over the firing of Technical Director Clyde Best, a botched World Cup qualifying campaign and infighting over a close and some say constitutionally flawed presidential election, all contributed to a difficult year.

Same old story...

From Page 21 In the end it took a strike by the referees, fed up with the lack of respect and more importantly lack of protection afforded by the clubs and players, to bring the soccer family to its senses.

On a brighter note, Kenny Thompson's under-17 squad showed some encouraging signs and hopefully it will be they, through success in the qualifying phase of the CONCACAF Tournament in the New Year, who can help turn the game's fortunes around.

On the international front, Bromby, Shaun Goater and our Davis Cup tennis team all served Bermuda admirably.

But cricket, our other national sport, while making some steps in the right direction, still has it all to prove in 2001 -- specifically in the month of June.

It's then that they will compete in the ICC Trophy in Toronto where, on paper at least, Bermuda's chances of qualifying for the first time for the World Cup will never be better.

Had our players of 10 or more years ago been offered the same draw, they would have been rubbing their hands with glee.

Given the moderate success of our current squad in recent years, their approach to the ICC will no doubt be more circumspect.

Some encouraging results in Canada last summer followed by a first-ever win in the Red Stripe Bowl against a mediocre Caymans team may have raised the level of confidence.

But newly-appointed national coach Roland Butcher, who won't take up his post until the end of January, still faces a tall order in moulding together a World Cup qualifying squad in the space of four months.

Traditionally, Bermuda's triumphs overseas have emerged from cricket, soccer, athletics and sailing.

But there were continuing signs in 2000 that golf and tennis may be the sports which will serve Bermuda best in the early years of the next decade.

The fruits of Bermuda Junior Golf Association's programme are beginning to ripen in the form of players such as Michael Sims, now ranked highly in the ultra-competitive US collegiate ranks.

And the enthusiasm of Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association chief David Lambert and fellow pro Steve Bean appears to be rubbing off on many of their young charges with both the Island's Davis and Fed Cup futures looking healthy.

With another New Year around the corner, invariably there will be new hope.

In the meantime, the Gazette's sports staff take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas...

...or to our friends at Cablevision, `Feliz Navidad'.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON On the crest of a wave: Olympic sailor Peter Bromby (top) and crew Lee White provided rare international success for Bermuda during 2000, narrowly missing a medal with a fourth place finish at the Sydney Games in September.