Seven World Cup qualifying goals elevated John Barry Nusum to the status of Male Athlete of the Year - the first professional athlete to win the award.

Bermuda's participation in the competition may be ancient history but Nusum's scoring - five against Montserrat and two against El Salvador - still leaves him third in the CONCACAF scoring charts, eight months after his side's elimination.

That distinction, and an outstanding rookie season with the Philadelphia KiXX in the Major Indoor Soccer League, earned the young striker the top award in a glittering ceremony at the Hamilton Princess, the first in which pro athletes were eligible for the top gongs.

Although Nusum, for his attitude both on and off the field, was a worthy winner, many eyebrows were raised at the event when cricket captain Clay Smith was overlooked after for the main award after a year of setting Cup Match records and rattling runs against many of the top regional sides - he could take solace, however, in a Minister's Award for Cricket.

But this was Nusum's night, and fully deserved after the 23-year-old goalscoring machine banged in 19 goals in his 21 games for the KiXX this season, amassing 32 points which puts him third in the league scoring charts.

But it is World Cup goals that were the highlight of last year.

“It is great to come back here and get this silverware,” said the enigmatic striker, flashing that trademark smile so often seen after hitting the back of the net.

“The highlights for me had to be the World Cup goals and representing my country. But things are working out for me in Philadelphia, I am playing football for a living and I am still scoring.

“It is great when you get paid basically to have fun.”

Nusum was quick to thank his mother, who was quickly reduced to tears before receiving almost as much adulation as her goalscoring progeny.

Another footballer to thank family was Khano Smith, the lanky striker whose goals for Dandy Town earned him the Minister's Award for Soccer.

Smith was full of praise for his double-winning team-mates and talked of his delight at representing Bermuda, “a dream I had had since he was a little boy”.

Clay Smith made his trip to the stage to pick up the Minister's Award - although many expected him to be in the running for the main gong - and was hugely positive about this summer's ICC Trophy in Ireland.

Smith, who became the first man to score three centuries in Cup Match and scored a handful of half-centuries for his country in Inter-Continental and Americas Cup competition, named his highlight as the victory over Barbados.

But it was his words about the upcoming World Cup qualifiers that drew some of the wildest applause of the night. “I promise we are about to do something special,” he warned.

Peter Bromby, a perennial winner at the annual ceremony, was handed an Achievement Award, his seventh honour.

In a year that saw the popular sailor travel to Athens, albeit for a frustrating eighth place finish despite being an early medal hope, he also placed sixth in the Star World Championships in Italy and won the Spa Regatta in Holland in May.

The three-time Male Athlete of the Year also won the Kiel World Championships.

Another Olympian to receive the Achievement Award was Tyler Butterfield, whose remarkable 2004 saw him turn from outstanding triathlete to top-amateur cyclist.

A 35th place finish in the Olympics was to be his last major international triathlon as a victory in the road race stage of the CD&P Grand Prix saw him become recognised as a top cyclist.

He is now in France competing for one of the top amateur teams Vendee U - domestic victory in the Bank of Bermuda Foundation triathlon was just the icing on the cake for a great year.

The Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA) and the Dolphin Swim Club were the two recipients of Appreciation Awards for their work in youth development and charity.

BODA have sent five sailors between the ages of nine and 15 to the World Championships of their various classes with sailors often returning after top ten finishes.

The Bermuda team have won the team racing trophy for the North American Championships three times in the past six years - as well as hosting two major regattas here.

The Dolphin Swim Club have raised more than $200,000 over the years through the Round the Sound Swimathon.

A Special Achievement Award was handed to Allan Burrows, for his services over more than 50 years as a player, coach and administrator in target shooting, with former school teacher Alfred Augustus receiving similar mention for his work with the Special Olympics.

Sports Citations were handed to the ‘Voice of Summer' C.V Jim Woolridge, for 40 years of Cup Match coverage, Joe Brown for his work in sports administration, 1994 66kg division Karate world champion Gladwin (Roots) Phillips and 1980 World Amateur Bowling Champion Joan Hollis.

Telecom Bermuda received the same award for sponsorship of athletics.

Although much of last night's ceremony was spent remembering past triumphs, it is the promising future of sportsmen and women like Kiera Aitken, Katura-Horton Perinchief, Nusum and Butterfield that made the evening poignant and relevant.