Former professional middleweight fighter Troy Darrell yesterday likened Clarence Hill's omission from this year's Hall Of Fame to that of a blow below the belt.

Darrell, like many others in the sports fraternity, yesterday expressed his disappointment over Hill failing to make the final list of ten during Saturday's inaugural induction ceremony.

“I think it was unfair to Clarence, he should've been automatically presented with that honour,” argued Darrell, himself one of the 25 nominees. “No other Bermudian has ever won an Olympic medal and that's the highest every athlete strives for.

“Clarence was among the top three amateur heavyweight boxers in the world and he put Bermuda on the map. That in itself is a significant contribution.”

Though Hill's life took a turn for the worse once he retired from professional boxing in 1985, Darrell suggested that all potential Hall of Fame inductees be judged for achievements in their chosen sport - and not their personal lives.

“You can't judge Clarence on what has happened outside of the ring,” said Darrell, who retired from professional fighting with an impressive record of 29 wins and three losses with 23 KO's.

“Nobody is perfect in this world. We are all human. Yes, he has made a few mistakes in his life and did his time . . . but you can't hold that against him. Clarence went out there and showed the world that Bermuda is good enough to achieve anything.”

Bermuda Olympic Association president John Hoskins said he believed Hill's omission came about as a result of people nominating candidates without proper knowledge of the complete requirements for athletes to be accepted into the Hall of Fame.

“I think nominations were put forward by people not knowing the full rules and subsequently when the organising board examined all of the nominees and the final selections were made, these other provisions came into play,” said Hoskins. “That's why I think this has happened.

“I think when you draw up the rules for a situation like this, one has to be very careful. Once you have established the rules you must stick with them.

“And my feeling is that if you set out the criteria, then you have to stick by it. Presumably those criteria were established and they (selection panel) stuck to it. Clarence (Hill) did a fantastic job getting his bronze medal and I think everybody recognised it.”

Meanwhile, chairman of the Hall of Fame board of directors, Rick Richardson, yesterday explained: “The public was involved in the voting process on no fewer than three occasions during this process. And at the end of the day the board, in a secret ballot, applied a ten point voting system to the final list. They went strictly on the eligibility which included a clause on integrity and good character. And the voting took care of that.”

He added: “It would have been highly scandalous if, I as the chairman, received a result on three rounds of balloting, and a fourth from the board. This was the first step on a very long journey and those inducted were first class, and some first class athletes did not make it this time. I am not at all displeased with the debate. After all this is the Sports Hall of Fame and Bermudians have finally expressed some passion and pride over something of national importance.”

In yesterday's story on the inaugural inductees to the Hall of Fame the name of Suzy Clarke was inadvertently left out of the team which represented softball's Big Blue Machine. The Royal Gazette apologises for the error.