Dear Sir,

The debate about whether Clarence Hill should have been included among the inaugural inductees into the Hall of Fame has reached the other side of the Atlantic and left a bad taste in my mouth. My disappointment is not with the selection panel, for I believe that the first class of inductees are very deserving, but with a society that is set up to punish repeatedly a man for past indiscretions.

Clarence Hill won an Olympic bronze medal for Bermuda, for crying out loud, our only Olympic medal 28 years hence, and that alone puts him in the box seat for consideration. But then we have the criteria for selection, which includes integrity and good character. With all respect to Clarence, however, he would have struggled to fit the bill even before boarding the plane for Montreal in 1976.

His life and "crimes" have been aired publicly ever since, with the attendant tag "Olympic bronze medal-winner". In view of that, I believe Rick Richardson's committee should have adopted the approach of "how do we get him in?" as opposed to "sorry, he doesn't fit the bill" because, with his many run-ins with the law, he never will meet the aforementioned criteria, unless posthumously.

Clarence will admit, and has admitted, that, as an Olympic hero, he has failed himself and the country with his behaviour since ending his professional boxing career in 1985. But the first and very public failure was that of the Bermuda Government.

How a man from an under-privileged background, whatever his race, returning to the Island with an Olympic medal around his neck is not afforded the red carpet treatment is scandalous and is a cross that Bermuda will have to bear for ever. We have improved dramatically since, to the extent that gallant failures are lionised, but, unfortunately, the die was cast already and Clarence Hill fell subsequently through the chasm of disinterest.

His achievement may have been sniffed at by those of higher standing, but Clarence was truly a hero in his community and that bronze medal provided a motivation that has seen countless black men from "the other side of the tracks" go on to lead successful lives.

Personally, I will always view Clarence Hill as a hero, even before Montreal. As a youngster for whom a significant grounding took place at Pembroke Youth Centre, Clarence was the standard in sport to aim for. The anticipation of his fights against US Navy Base and other overseas opponents was unrivalled by anything I have witnessed since. Chants of "P-Y-C" and "Come on Shaft" will live with me for ever. Clarence, for all his faults, was responsible for that and rarely did he let down the paying public.

Then came Montreal and the inevitable step up to the professional arena, where, largely through mismanagement and his under-developed social skills, a burgeoning career grounded to a disappointing conclusion.

Through it all, though, and beyond, Clarence Hill remained a hero for me. Drugs and other abuses had changed his physical appearance, but whenever I looked into his eyes I saw the classy boxer with the distinctive head movement, who was comfortable equally at southpaw or orthodox, and possessed a punch that meant he was often too dangerous an opponent to take a chance against.

Over time, as I matured, the respect we held for one another's sporting prowess became mutual. Those charged with making decisions in relation to Clarence Hill, either in 1976 when he returned with a bronze medal to little acclaim or now that the Hall of Fame has been launched, cannot say the same.

What to do then?

Essentially, given the criteria set before them, the selection panel had little option but to preclude Clarence Hill from taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.

Clarence has said that his life has undergone a significant change in recent times. My suggestion, then, would be for the selection panel to meet with him whereby, over a specified period of time, they can assess his worthiness to be added to the original ten as a special case.

A grave error was committed at the Bermuda Airport in 1976, which had significant consequences for Hill. Now, we have a chance to make reparations.

Yours in sport,

DEXTER SMITH

London, England

Dear Sir,

May I use your newspaper to publicly congratulate the top ten award recipients for the Hall of Fame, and the remaining 15 who were nominated deserve their due recognition. They all should have got the Hall of Fame award though, not just the 10, as they all met the main criteria of integrity and good character.

Thank you to the Youth and Sports Department having these Sports awards, and the committee for organising and selecting the winners. The selection process seems to have been carried out strictly by the committee.

Bermuda's only Olympic medallist was not selected! Why not when he got in the top 25? The process must have taken in a lifetime of accomplishments rights and wrongs. Was Mr. Clarence Hill that wrong during his boxing career? It seems so by his non-selection.

A few suggestions:

That a person in each sport be given the Hall of Fame award at the next selection process only if there have been athletes and administrators in those sports who have excelled locally plus internationally and have retired.

Clarence Hill should be put in NOW

The next selection committee should remember that all do wrong, and the person is going for a Hall of Fame Sports award, not a perfection award.

Good day.

ROGER LAMBERT