international sporting arena and became more than just a pencil dot in the middle of the Atlantic.

Dominating the course of events were the World Cup and the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, but there were several other noteworthy happenings that can be looked upon in retrospect.

The former saw the Island record its first-ever win in the competition and go on to reach the second round. Triumphs against Haiti, Antigua and a rousing upset of El Salvador made Bermuda feel like a real contender only to receive a knockout blow on leaving the friendly confines of home.

Sadly things would end on a sour note with players criticising coach Gary Darrell, who would ultimately resign following the team's last match against Canada.

But this was not the end as the turmoil within the BFA was further emphasised when president Charlie Marshall relinquished his duties just before Christmas.

In July and August, Bermuda's Olympic contingent won no medals however two athletes -- Troy Douglas and Brian Wellman -- featured prominently, earning recognition as members of the world's elite. Douglas reached the semifinals of the 400 metres while Wellman set a local record in the triple jump in placing fifth overall.

Wellman would rebound from that performance to better his mark and in the process beat his coach and Olympic champion Mike Conley for the first time at the IAAF Grand Prix finals in Italy a month later. Earlier the 25-year-old University of Arkansas senior won the NCAA Outdoor Championship for a second time in his specialty event.

A first was registered for Bermuda when Simon Payne disposed of his Bermuda shorts and T-shirt for thermal wear as he made his entrance at the Winter Olympics in Albertville as a competitor in the luge.

Another individual making headlines locally and overseas was sailor Peter Bromby.

The 1992 Athlete of the Year always seemed to be looking back -- at his competitors - as he began by winning the IOD Class at International Race Week and continued by capturing the World IOD Championship mantle for a second time in September and the inaugural Bank of Bermuda Cup the follwing month.

He certainly put a scare in world number two match racer Russell Coutts of New Zealand, his rival during the quarter-finals of the Omega Gold Cup before losing 3-2 in a best of five. Coutts would go on to defeat American Paul Cayard by a similar margin in the finals.

Other triumphs in the sailing realm were recorded by Contest in the Fitted Dinghy racing summer series, while Alan Burland (Tornados), David Jones (Etchells), George Hughes (Luders), Peter Eastman (J24s), Henry Filter (Snipes) and Donny Martinborough (Sunfish) all enjoyed a measure of success during International Race Week.

Domestically, PHC's soccer squad ended their FA Cup jinx and also added their seventh First Division league title. Boulevard thwarted Somerset's attempts to wrest the Dudley Eve Trophy and relegated Southampton Rangers carried the Friendship Trophy with them into the Second Division.

Making a celebrated return to the top flight were St. George's bringing along the Shield while neighbours St. David's achieved promotion for the first time in club history.

Already in the new season the Trojans have retained the Martonmere Cup and are seeking another shot at the Dudley Eve Trophy.

Not to be overlooked were the women who entertained two tours containing foreign opposition.

Mount Allison University were the first to land on local shores and then a five-team tournament again involving three US college squads and two local selects was played to a rousing success.

Telecom were crowned league champs for the second year in a row and look toward `three-peating' in 1993.

There was some unseasonal cricket played as the February arrival of England `A' briefly interrupted the domestic soccer schedule. The Englishmen encountered little trouble in soundly beating an array of local selects in four one-day matches.

The story of the cricket season proper started and ended at St. John's field with Western Stars marching off with the lion's share of silverware.

Gary Brangman's boys snatched the Central Counties and Open League and made it to the Limited Overs final before being beaten by Bailey's Bay. In addition all-rounder Arnold Manders was named Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.

Cup Match proved largely uneventful with one of the smallest crowds in some time witnessing the annual summer classic end in a predictable draw.

Other awards included Wendell Smith as Shell/Mid-Ocean News Cricketer of the Year, Devonshire Rec. taking the Camel Cup, St. David's dispelling their label of `draw specialists' while holding on to the Eastern Counties, and Southampton doing likewise up at the west end.

In golf, St. George's pro Kim Swan had a banner year capturing two tournaments including the inaugural Johnnie Walker White Label Champinship as well as the Bermuda PGA Stroke Play title.

Undoubtedly the most exciting event had to be the Belmont Invitational where Dwayne Pearman defeated Bob Mucha on account of a birdie on the final hole after allowing the diminutive American to come from eight strokes back to tie at the 17th.

Meanwhile, American Gene Fiegers held off a quality Bermuda Open field for his first championship.

Top amateur at the Johnnie Walker event was Chalmers Talbot while fellow handicappers Ricky Cox and Robert Vallis won the Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play and Mid Ocean Invitational repectively.

Other local winners were Cornell Bean (Pro Match Play), Scarborough Golf Club (Goodwill) and Lisa Griffin (Ladies Amateur Match Play).

Not faring so well were the men's and women's teams that travelled to Vancouver for the World Amateur Team Championships. The men wound up 40th in a 49-strong field and the women were 28th out of 31.

A raucous party where several players were photographed showing off various parts of their anatomy diverted attention from the on-field activites and proved the real talking point at this year's Rugby Classic -- which by the way was won by New Zealand for a fourth straight time.

Teachers captured the league and cup double in Second Division while Police and Renegades shared those awards in the upper league.

A Falcon swooped down for International Race Weekend...Joe Falcon that is. The diminutive American proceeded to break the Bank of Butterfield Mile record with a 4:04.2 clocking but was not swift enough to collect the $10,000 offered to anyone going under four minutes.

Mexican Marcos Baretto and Wilma van Onna of Holland ran away with the ADT 10-K men's and women's divisions and a day later Russians Sergei Krestyaninov and Valentina Shateika made turned the trick in the marathon.

But it is the May 24 Marathon Derby for which every Bermudian rises and Errol Cormack's come-from-behind win over a burned-out Tracy Wright made this year's event memorable indeed.

Greg Hopkins held off American Brad Rex to win an exciting Bermuda Triathlon and a week earlier there was a new champion team -- Neil de St Croix, Mark Perry and Kevin Insley. Mary Hopkins repeated as the women's winner. North Village Longtails rung up nine wins from 15 matches on their way to lifting the women's hockey `A' League title.

Going one better -- or more specifically three better -- were `B' League champs Cardinals who were undefeated all year.

Wasps once again seized men's honours.

Netts twinkled the most twine in 1992 and were quite greedy actually, leaving with top honours in both netball divisions.

Social Club Blue Sox and PCC totally dominated softball, doubling up with the men's and women's League and Island Championships.

Table tennis kings were Hamilton Parish while Nick Frost and Dexter Smith were national and Bermuda Open champions respectively.

Nationals `snookered' all opposition on there way to the League and Super Six championships as did individual champ Steve Dunleavy.

Trevor (Kidd) Mouchette doubled up for the Men's Eight and Nine-Ball titles and helped lead Robin Hood to another League Championship.

As can be seen 1992 was a `chock-full' of fun and games to keep the viewing public entertained.

DWAYNE PEARMAN -- Exciting Belmont Invitational victory.

WORLD IOD CHAMPIONS -- Peter Bromby, the 1992 Athlete of the Year, put a disappointing Olympics behind him by winning his second IOD world championship in Marblehead, Massachusetts. From Left: Micky Cox, Lee White, Bromby, Malcolm Wilson and Mickey Finnegan.

KYLE LIGHTBOURNE -- Scorer in Bermuda's last World cup win.

ARNOLD MANDERS -- Led Western Stars to first-ever cricket league championship and was season's MVP.