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World Rackets Champion James Stout said he was honoured to be named Bermuda's Athlete of the Year despite the controversy, which surrounded his coronation.

The 24-year-old said he wanted to 'stay out' of the dispute over whether Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney had the right to overturn the nomination panel's initial decision to pick swimmer Roy Burch.

Stout, who was in Detroit playing in the U.S. Open and unable to accept his award on Saturday, admitted he had been 'shocked' to win.

But he said he was grateful and proud to be Athlete of the Year, regardless of how the final decision was made.

He would not comment on allegations that Burch's remarks about a lack of Government support for swimming had cost him the award.

Since news broke that Minister Blakeney had overturned the nominating panel's original decision, Stout's triumph has been tainted with some letter writers even suggesting that he should not have accepted the award.

But the U.S. based professional said the dispute did not detract from his sense of accomplishment.

"To achieve anything in any sport on the world stage is not something that everyone can say," said Stout, who also reached the top 100 as a pro squash player.

"I'm just happy to have won it. That's all I'm concerned about, not everything else that is going on. I'm honoured to have the award."

He admitted he had not expected to win.

"It was pretty out of the blue to be honest. I thought I might be up for an achievement award so it was a bit of a shock to come away with that.

"Obviously I'm very pleased. It's not every day that you get nominated for sportsman of the year, let alone win it. I was very happy."

Asked whether he thought he was a worthy winner, Stout added: "That's basically up to the guys who decide.

"You can't compare you have done in your sport to what someone else has done in another, it's basically who they think deserves it."

In 2008 Stout won both the British and U.S. Open events in the obscure sport - a kind of archaic 'extreme' squash played with an old fashioned wooden racket and a golf-style ball that pings around the court at speeds of up to 170mph.

Those victories earned him the right to challenge for the World Championship crown, which he won in a two-leg play-off with Englishman Harry Foster and now holds - like a Boxing title belt - until a credible challenger emerges to play-off against him.

"It was a good year for me. I won the two biggest tournaments, which made me eligible to play for the World Championship. Winning that was the icing on the cake."

Most Bermudians have never heard of the sport and Stout is the only local player.

But there are 219 players, mostly from the U.S. and North America, in the world rankings with Stout at the top.

"It's not quite as big as squash but it is still very competitive at the top level."

Stout, who learned to play Rackets at boarding school in England, believes he may well be the only rackets player ever to receive the award.

"I would think it will be one of a kind unless one of my brothers comes up and becomes world champion also," he added.[[In-content Ad]]

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