A star-studded list of 25 potential inductees into Bermuda's first-ever Hall of Fame was unveiled yesterday during a press conference at Cabinet building.

Of the final list of 25 names, a total of ten inaugural inductees will be “enshrined” and “memorialised” into the prestigious Hall of Fame during an Awards Banquet to commence on Saturday, May 29 at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess under the patronage of Sports Minister Dale Butler.

Those selected were chosen from an initial list containing some 300 names of athletes heralding from a broad cross-section of Bermuda. All athletes not included on the shortened list, and those not selected as inaugural inductees, will be eligible to be chosen again next year.

“The Sports Hall of Fame, with great input from you, the general public, has produced a stellar list of names from a broad section of Bermuda,” read Butler from a prepared statement.

“The list has been pruned, again with your assistance, from an initial list of over 300 names to a final list of 25 names from which the inaugural list of inductees to be enshrined will be announced on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

“Their (Sports Hall of Fame Board) remit was to develop the machinery to permanently reward and honour and preserve for prosperity the achievements of Bermudians who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of sport in Bermuda and abroad,” Butler continued.

“This event will culminate many months of arduous work by the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame Board since its appointment in 2002 by then Sports Minister (and potential inaugural inductee) Randy Horton.”

The award ceremony will be a formal affair, said Butler, commencing at 6.30 p.m. A limited number of tickets will be made available for the public to purchase within a fortnight (two weeks) at the Department of Youth and Sport and various other outlets in Hamilton.

“I have every confidence that the directors of the Sports Hall of Fame have used their best efforts to arrive at their decision employing their extensive knowledge of sport and the terms of reference which are provided,” Butler added.

“We look forward to the ceremonies on May 29, and I wish to thank all of the directors, and you the general public, for your contributions towards this historic event.”

While a permanent residence for the Island's first-ever Hall of Fame has yet to be finalised, the new cricket pavilion - now nearing completion on the northern field of the National Sports Centre - might be used as a temporary shrine to showcase all local athletes that have excelled in their chosen sport, both internationally and domestically, disclosed chairman of the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame Board Rick Richardson, who unveiled the final list of 25 names at yesterday's press conference.

“We have a number of options in the short term,” he said. “One of the interim facilities also identified was the cricket pavilion at the National Sports Centre. At some point we would like the whole Hall of Fame and Museum to be housed at such a place. But in the interim period we are looking at the cricket pavilion and then we may look at another good central location because the event is coming up at the end of May.”

The Sports Hall of Fame Board, headed up by Richardson, consists of Dr. David Saul, Debbie Jones (potential inductee), Conrad Simons, Jordy Walker, Jimmy Amos, Marva Trott, Phillip Smith, Shawn Tucker, Phillip Guishard and Charles Brown.