Bermudian sports heroes of the past are to have the memory of their achievements enshrined in a new Hall of Fame.

Plans are at an early stage, but Sports Minister Dennis Lister confirmed that the wheels were in motion to bring the idea, mooted in the Progressive Labour Party manifesto before it gained power last November, to fruition.

"Before we came into government, it seemed to us that our former great athletes had nowhere to be recognised,'' said Lister.

"When they hang up their boots, or their cricket bats or whatever, they seem to be forgotten after a few years and often the current players don't know about them.

"It's been an idea of ours for a long time and it's all part of the approach of the new Government, to highlight the achievements of Bermudians and to keep our heritage.'' Many aspects of the Hall of Fame remain uncertain -- like where it will be housed, who will be in it, when it will open and how much it will cost.

But Lister said the first steps on the road to making the proposal reality were already being taken.

"I have put someone in charge of the project and we are forming a committee that will look at the criteria for the Hall of Fame,'' he added.

"The full committee has not yet been named, but the chairperson is working on it as we speak.

"The second part is finding a physical home where the memory of these great athletes can be showcased.'' As for the stars who will be honoured, Lister said the choice would rest with the Hall of Fame Committee.

"I can think of several great names off the top of my head, but I wouldn't want to pre-empt anything that the committee decides,'' said the minister.

A Hall of Fame was the vision of one of Bermudian sport's greatest benefactors, W.F. (Chummy) Hayward, who died two years ago.

Hayward, the driving force behind the founding of the Bermuda Olympic Association, created a museum in his former office at J.S. Vallis, dedicated to the achievements of the Island's greatest athletes, complete with photographs, plaques and souvenirs.

Hayward planned to build a Hall of Fame on land on the corner of Richmond Road and Rosemont Avenue, but the project was scuppered by local residents' objections to the likely increase in traffic.

The plot remains vacant and undeveloped today.

Dennis Lister: `Our athletes.. seem to be forgotten after a few years.' SPORTS SP