until 1999 will be considered by the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sports.

But whether they get their wish has more to do with the national governing bodies, who have still not completed a Government questionaire used to compile a database of Bermuda athletes.

Seeking more time to educate their players, clubs last week asked for an extension during a two-hour meeting with Ministry of Youth and Sports director Anthony Roberts and Vaughn Mosher, head of Benedict Associates and chairman of the BCDS.

And yesterday Roberts hinted the implentation of Bermuda's Drug Free Sports Policy's ten per cent rule -- in which ten percent of all Island ahtletes will annually be tested at random for illicit drugs -- likely will not take place this year.

"Government has not delayed anything. What we have faced is the reality that in order to put the random drug testing into place, it's going to take us some time to get the information that we require, and that is the names and related information of those persons who are registered in sports in the Island,'' he said.

"Given the time that is necessary to put this document together, to get all the information, it is not likely to be before the end of the year or the beginning of next year.'' The Drug Free Sports Policy went into effect on April 1. And while targetted testing of selected individuals and events is already underway, the controversial ten per cent rule, originally planned for a summer launch, will not begin "until everybody is in the pool,'' said Roberts.

The sports participation survey -- seeking names, addresses and telephone numbers of all registered athletes within each sport -- was introduced late last year and Roberts said about three quarters have been turned in.

But "because some of the governing bodies do not keep the sort of records we expect them to, it's likely to be early next year before we can get the full list of names and get the random testing element in place,'' he said.

And this will suit soccer clubs just fine.

The Bermuda Football Association set up last week's meeting so that BCDS officials could answer questions and allay fears among their teams, some of whom had said they would not allow their players to be tested.

As a result, BFA General Secretary David Sabir said that clubs were now far more knowledgeable about the policy.

"Although there was no need for us to get any official reaction from them, it was clear that there was overwhelming support for the drug free sports policy,'' said Sabir.

One particular concern was the absence of reading material available to enable teams and players to learn more about the policy and the penalties governing postive tests.

"The clubs put the position across that in order for them to relinquish unquestionable support, and I must add that the clubs were very supportive of the initiative for a drug free sport, it was quite clear that we must first educate and expose all participants of sport to the whole ideal of this drug free sport policy and what it means to them,'' said Sabir.

But Roberts said brochures and slides have now been completed and the educational arm of the BCDS, headed by Jon Beard, is now easily able to disseminate information.