By Press Release
The Island Games in Guernsey 2023 – what an extraordinary event!
Twenty-two non-nation state Islands (from Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Gozo, Scotland, England, Bermuda, Channel Islands and more) competing in 14 different sports. There was high-level competition at all times with some full-time professional sportsmen and women and many amateurs (fitting in their sport and training around a full-time job) from all different parts of the world.
The Isle of Wight sent a team of over 200 athletes ranging in age from 16 to 72. And what great representatives of our Island they were. The team came fifth in the medals table with 15 gold, 15 silver and 8 bronze, but there were many outstanding non-medal winning performances. More important was the team camaraderie at the team hotel, overlooking a wonderful bay on the north-east corner of Guernsey. For many of our competitors it was their first experience of international competition, and they made the most of it, meeting new people and making new friends.
We were privileged to be taken around to 10 different sporting venues by IW team chairman, Kevin Winchcombe (guided by the wonderful Guernsey attaché, Caroline). It was hard not to feel envious of the outstanding sporting facilities provided for a population of 60,000 people on an island that is one sixth of the size of the Isle of Wight. Indoor tennis centre, athletics stadium, football pitches, badminton and basketball courts, swimming centre, Indoor bowls, Table Tennis centre etc. Sport for all ages and abilities is very much at the centre of their community.
Approximately 1,500 Guernsey volunteers were involved in running the Island Games this year, and even the Lieutenant-Governor was there helping out, directing traffic and fully entering into the spirit of things. A true community effort.
The bi-annual Island Games are known as ‘The Friendly Games’ and rightly so. Competition is fierce but love of sport shines through. It was wonderful that two of our Isle of Wight swimmers offered to join up with the two swimmers from St Helena, so that St Helena could have a relay team.
The difference in the size of Islands and therefore the number of representatives from that Island is one of the charms of this event. And the Islands take it in turns to host the games which is obviously a great challenge for the smaller Islands whose facilities are limited. Regular competitors tell me that they are amazed at the hospitality and sport they receive, even from the smallest and most remote Islands.
The venue for 2025 is Orkney, which I am sure will be yet another wonderful event. We all know that islands are special and that we can make things work if we work as a community.
Our sportsmen and women are setting a great example. Unlike many other teams, they funded their own transport and accommodation, but they were supported by some fantastic IW businesses with their kit and many other expenses.
It would be wonderful to take the spirit of co-operation generated to make our team entry for the Island Games such a success and extend it to continued Island-wide co-ordination for sports and sporting facilities. One thing sport teaches is teamwork and it is something we forget at our peril.
Congratulations and thank you to every one of you who represented the Isle of Wight for this one week. You were great ambassadors, and it was a joy to spend even a short time with you all.