News that Roy Allen Burch's selection as Male Athlete of the Year was overturned after political interference drew a sharp backlash from the public yesterday, former Olympic Association president Austin Woods among those who called for the immediate resignation of Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney.

E-mails and letters poured into The Royal Gazette, many after the subject had been discussed on HOTT 107.5 and FM89 radio call-in shows.

Radio host Thaao Dill defended the minister's position on his early morning show on HOTT, a station owned by Blakeney, and later in the day the minister himself attempted to defend his stance on the Everest DeCosta show on FM89.

But almost every letter-writer condemned Blakeney's action which denied the Olympic swimmer Bermuda's top sports award and instead handed it to World Racquets champion James Stout, who won that title in a one-on-one contest last year.

Leading the attack on Blakeney was former top sports administrator Woods who said: "As a former President of the Olympic Committee and a person who has dedicated some 20 years to the Olympic ideal, I find this decision deplorable.

"I suggest that the Director and the panel should resign. More importantly the Sports Minister should resign.

"Athletes will always speak out through their frustration of what they deem to be a lack of funds. The list of Bermuda athletes who have spoken out is long. Burch is not the first.

"The IOC frown on Government interference in sports."

Cycling coach Greg Hopkins, who has closely followed Burch's career, said: "When I think of the many thousands of hours that Roy has spent in the pool since he was a youngster and the sacrifices he has made, it is very painful to see what he is going through right now.

"He has given heart and soul to working to be the best that he can be and is a tremendous role model to other young Bermudians, at a time when there is so much negative publicity about the attitudes of many young people on this Island.

"If the reasons for him not getting the Athlete of the Year Award are true, then it is a great injustice to him and sends the wrong message to his peers regardless of whether or not they are athletes."

Another writer, Barbara Cooper, wrote: "The decision of the PLP Government to deny the award to the originally chosen Male Athlete of the Year is disgraceful, disgusting and scary!"

Bill Nearon wrote: "I could not believe the headline in the weekend papers that informed the public of the decision by Cabinet to overturn the Sportsman of the Year award and give it to someone else.

"Surely this must be a typo, but as I read on it became quite clear that this was not the case.

"I did not think that Government had the power to do this as the Committee who had performed so well in the past was still in place.

"The Minister for Sport, Mr. Blakeney, should resign without further ado. And the rest of the Cabinet who voted for this shameful decision should never again hold up their heads."

A selection of the letters can be found on Page 10.