Bermuda Olympic Association president John Hoskins has admitted that he should have told non-Bermudian athletes that their right to represent the Island at this year?s Commonwealth Games was in serious doubt.

But he insisted the BOA still believes they can persuade the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to waive the new eligibility rule ? and will do everything they can to achieve that goal.

In defending the actions of his association, via a letter to the sports editor published in full on page 14, Hoskins proffered an entirely different view from CGF chief executive Michael Hooper over whether foreign nationals could compete at the Melbourne Games in just 67 days.

Hooper told that the circumstances would have to be ?exceptional? for non-Bermudians to be sanctioned.

Triathletes Riaan Naude, Evan Naude and Jamie Brown, gymnast Kaisey Griffiths and cyclist Lynn Patchett ? all foreign-born ? were hoping to make the trip to Melbourne and had been preparing to do so until they discovered as late as last month that they had been deemed ineligible by a 2003 rule change.

?It?s very frustrating having trained hard for something, only to find out at the last minute that all that work is going to go to waste,? Riaan Naude said earlier this week.

In the past, the eligibility rule stated that an individual only had to have lived in a particular country for three years.

But Hoskins says the chances of at least some of them going are stronger than previously thought.

?There has been an indication that dispensation should be granted to Commonwealth citizens with common passports, and with the approval of the international federations concerned,? wrote Hoskins, whose association has also came under fire from English-born 1966 Commonwealth silver medallist John Morbey for failing to inform athletes of the rule.

?With the help of the Bermuda Triathlon Association, we have confirmed that the International Triathlon Union is supportive of our triathlon athletes being included. We are also exploring the possibilities for our cyclists and gymnasts.

?As a result of the Cayman Islands submitting an application for dispensation in December and having their application refused, we continued to explore all the available avenues... As we were unable to obtain clarification of our athletes status, we failed to advise them and perhaps we should be faulted for this.

?However, we will continue to do our utmost for our athletes to ensure their inclusion in the Commonwealth Games.?

Hoskins had previously indicated that the BOA is intending to launch their own appeal, with the CGF promising to consider each athlete?s case on its merits.