Bermuda's hosting of the Commonwealth General Assembly next week will provide the Island with an ideal promotional vehicle -- and not just in terms of sport.

Austin Woods, president of the Bermuda Olympic Association and one of roughly 200 delegates expected to attend the conference, yesterday explained the many benefits of hosting the three-day event.

"It is a way of boosting tourism for Bermuda and giving local federations a chance to mingle with their national international federations. And I think most importantly to make contact for our top athletes with countries to which they may wish to travel or train,'' said Woods, in the midst of a second four-year term as president of the BOA.

"The other thing that I think of -- and it's one of my main reasons for having the meetings here in Bermuda -- is that when it comes to the importance of deciding where Games are held we don't have a bias because we understand that we can't have those Games in Bermuda.

"What is even more important is that each international organisation -- take, for instance, 10-pin bowling which is trying to get in -- if the international federation is in Bermuda and sees the facilities that are available, we may end up having a world class 10-pin bowling championship.'' Bearing in mind the fact that Bermuda, because of the lack of size and facilities, could never cater to an event of such magnitude as the Commonwealth Games, Woods asserted the hosting of the assembly to be a way of yet contributing.

Still, local coffers will be boosted by the influx of delegates, with a luncheon and gala evening scheduled along with hospitality suites that provide additional employment -- although temporary -- for locals.

The delegation representing Manchester, bidding for the 2002 Games, will hold a luncheon at the Southampton Princess on November 3, while 1998 hosts Malaysia will provide an evening reception at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

It was back in 1992 when Woods took the floor at a similar assembly in Barcelona, Spain and put Bermuda forward against rival bids from fellow Commonwealth nations Guernsey and Isle of Man.

A year later Bermuda emerged victorious following an overwhelming 90 percent vote in favour at another meeting, this time in Victoria, Canada. However, Woods noted how this only scratched the surface of what would be a hectic logistical process of trying to accommodate the various countries.

"For me it's been almost 18 months preparation,'' said Woods. "Some two months ago we had the secretary general of the Commonwealth Games Federation come to Bermuda and observe whether in actual fact we had all of the facilities for hosting and where the hotel was because of the fact that they subsidise one delegate from each country and they wanted to ensure that the cost was not overbearing.

"Fortunately, due to us having a two year contractual arrangement with the Elbow Beach Hotel, we were able to hold the costs down as far as the accommodations were concerned, so all of that went into the decision that it would be cost effective and not overbearing for delegates coming from far away places.'' Major topics on the agenda for the delegates include the admission of Anguilla as a member nation, which is expected to be ratified, as well as whether team sports -- cricket, rugby, hockey and netball -- will be included in 1998 as proposed by Malaysia and the bid by Manchester for 2002.

There is also a new, radical proposal being prepared by Canada's Roger Jackson to circulate the idea of winter sports being added to the Games.

Also to be floated once again are various ways of further enhancing the event in terms of exposure, spectator friendliness and appeal to top athletes.

For Woods and the BOA it provides the stage to show off the Island as a viable host for these meetings both now and possibly in the future.

"Bermuda intends to make best of these meetings, because it is my intention while I'm still in office to propose Bermuda for Pan American Games meetings and IOC meetings.'' AUSTIN WOODS -- Almost two years of preparation for the BOA president.