Olympic swimmer Roy Allen Burch has vowed to overcome his disappointment at being stripped of Bermuda's Male Athlete of Year award, declaring: "I'll not let this discourage me."

Burch, 23, had been the nominating committee's number one choice for the prestigious honour but was blocked from winning on strict Cabinet orders as punishment for speaking out against a lack of support for his sport.

The controversial decision to deprive the deserved winner his proud moment prevented swimming from completing a memorable clean sweep at the annual awards show at City Hall on Saturday night with national record breaker Kiera Aitken taking the female honours.

In a now tainted triumph, world racquets champion James Stout was handed the male accolade.

"I won't let this discourage me," Burch told The Royal Gazette yesterday in an exclusive interview: "I can't afford to let this discourage me. I'll stay focused on what I want to achieve.

"I don't want to pass judgment on the reasons why I didn't get the award. But it would have been nice if they (Government) had spoken to me to discuss any issues or problems they had with me. I didn't really know what was going on – it was all so very unclear.

"There was no point when I was absolutely certain I'd won the award."

He admitted it would haven have been a touching moment if he had been able to have accept his gong alongside close friend and fellow Beijing Olympian Kiera Aitken.

"It would have been a nice moment for me especially with Keira winning the female award. She definitely deserves it and works so hard," said Burch, who set a new male national record in the 50 metres freestyle in June.

Burch's uncle, Energy Minister Terry Lister, yesterday confirmed it was a "collective Cabinet decision" to deny his nephew the top male award.

Intriguingly, in his absence, Burch was the only nominee without a family member in attendance at the ceremony and had to make do with an Achievement Award.

In another suspicious twist to the controversial saga, Aitken's mother admitted the award had come as a "complete surprise" and if she had known she would have flown her daughter back from her training base in Barcelona to accept it.

However, the Ministry of Sport had obviously already informed Stout with his father speaking of his son's "delight", and had even prepared an eight-minute long acceptance speech, delivered on behalf of Stout, who is currently competing in the US.

In a Gazette interview last year, Burch suggested there was little appreciation or support for Olympic athletes in Bermuda, and that Government preferred to stick to sports they are more comfortable with such as football and cricket.

He said: "No one seems to know we send people to the Olympics. Or they feel more comfortable (being) with more black people, but I have become more comfortable in any scene.

"I would like to expose people to more things. Everyone's sitting on their hands waiting for a handout. You have got to go and get it."

A Government source told The Gazette last week there had been talk of not giving the Male Athlete of the Year award to anyone.

" . . . it was decided that wouldn't work, people would get up and walk out (of the awards). Now they're going to give it to someone who plays a sport about only six other people in the world play.

"The committee are hugely upset. After all, what's the point in having a committee if your recommendations are then going to be over-ruled.

"It's political interference of the worst kind."

Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney has refused to comment on the 'U-turn' despite numerous requests from this newspaper that he offer an explanation.