Top Bermuda striker Raynel Lightbourne was dropped from the Island's Pan-American Games squad after he refused to be drug tested on Saturday, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Lightbourne, scorer of the winning goal in the second leg of a qualifying tie against Jamaica which propelled Bermuda's troubled Under-23 soccer squad into the Pan-Am finals, abruptly left a team meeting on Saturday when he was asked to submit to a random drug test.

Two days later Lightbourne's name was mysteriously left off the Under-23 squad when it was released by the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) on Monday night. His role could be filled by Shawn Simons, Lightbourne's team-mate at PHC, and one of three over-age players on the squad. Simons was with the team recently during friendly matches against the US and German side Bayer Leverkusen in Orlando, Florida.

Meanwhile, in a separate development yesterday, it was learned that Nelson Bascome, Shadow Minister of Health and Social Services and president of Devonshire Colts, had been replaced as head of the soccer delegation which will travel to the Games in Argentina this Saturday.

Bascome had been named by the BFA on Monday night as one of five officials, but it is understood the squad will now be headed by Delroy O'Brien of Wolves who accompanied the Under-23s on the trip to Florida.

Lightbourne first made a name for himself in Jamaica for scoring the winning goal and then when he was featured in a report written by former Technical Director of Coaching Burkhard Ziese to CONCACAF after seven players were arrested in Miami on drug charges.

In the report Ziese said that Lightbourne was one of three players who confessed to having drug problems during a team meeting in Jamaica on November 30. Lightbourne later denied making the statement and said he did not have a drug problem.

He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

"That's not the prime reason why (Lightbourne) was dropped,'' said Under-23 coach Mark Trott, of the player's decision not to be tested. Trott was at Saturday's meeting of Pan-Am athletes.

When asked why Lightbourne would not submit to the test, Trott said: "You should ask Raynel Lightbourne, for me that's a closed matter.'' Earlier in the day Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA) secretary general John Hoskins would not disclose the name of the person who refused to take the test or say what sport the individual was going to participate in, but he did confirm that an athlete left the meeting when drug testing began.

BOA president Austin Woods, when asked to comment on the matter, said: "You've got to talk to the football association about that.'' Then he added: "I conducted the meeting, but as far as the BOA is concerned that's classified (information).'' Hoskins said eight athletes were summoned to be tested during the team meeting held at the Department of Youth and Sport.

That's when "one athlete just left,'' said Hoskins. "We asked certain people to stay behind, one person refused and we're not going to say who.'' At least two-thirds of the 37 athletes travelling to Argentina were at the meeting, when details ranging from travel arrangements to uniforms were also on the agenda.

At the end of the meeting names were called out for random drug tests and that's when Lightbourne left the building.

The other Under-23 soccer player tested was Jahmah Samuels, who had no problem submitting to the process.

"The BOA have certain guidelines (regarding drugs) which they made it clear to persons that were present at the meeting and we all know there are certain things that have to be followed,'' said Trott. "So if you are not prepared to follow those guidelines, then I guess at the end of the day you have to be prepared to suffer the consequences.'' Sources said that when the doctor performing the tests realised Lightbourne was not present, Trott was told by BOA officials that the player would not be permitted to travel to Argentina.

Lightbourne had been training with the squad since it was originally formed last August. He made a farewell appearance at Monday's training session, but did not practice. "Rules are rules for everybody,'' said Trott.

As for Bascome, it was unclear last night why he had suddenly been dropped from the list of officials, although it's known the BFA were angered by his club's decision to play Keishon Smith in the recent match against BAA.

Smith was one of three `Miami Seven' players who defied a BFA ruling that they remain on the sidelines until their playing status was resolved following the `no contest' plea to drugs charges in Miami.

Smith, Meshach Wade of BAA and Kevin Jennings of North Village were all subsequently banned for the rest of the season by the BFA and their clubs fined $1,000.

Asked yesterday whether he would be travelling with the squad to Argentina, Bascome said: "I may not be, we were sorting that out (yesterday). The BFA were looking to get someone else.'' Neither the BFA nor the BOA would confirm yesterday that Bascome had been replaced by O'Brien.

Fired BFA Technical Director Burkhard Ziese left the Island last night to return to his native Germany.

But he is expected to be back in June or July for a court hearing which will decide whether he was unfairly dismissed.

Ziese, represented by local lawyer Allan Dunch, is suing the BFA for breach of contract and claiming substantial damages. He was dismissed by the association on January 9 with two years of his contract still remaining.

Bermuda's Under-23 squad will play their final Pan-Am warm-up match tonight when they meet a Rest of Bermuda squad at BAA Field, starting at 9.00.

RAYNEL LIGHTBOURNE -- dropped from Games squad.