2023 Island Games
The XIX Island Games (also known as the 2023 NatWest Island Games for sponsorship reasons) were to have been held in Guernsey in 2021 however due to the COVID-19 pandemic the games were postponed.[1][2] This occasion will be the third time that the island has hosted the games, the first being in 1987, the second in 2003.
 | |
| Host |  Guernsey |
|---|---|
| Teams | 24 islands |
| Athletes | 2,194 |
| Events | 14 sports |
| Opening | 8 July 2023 |
| Closing | 14 July 2023 |
| Main venue | Footes Lane |
| Website | http://guernsey2023.gg/ |
Rescheduled, the week long event welcomed around 2,500 competitors and officials from 24 islands to take part in 14 sports.[3][4]
Host
The Faroe Islands were initially chosen to host the games but pulled out of doing so in early 2015.[5] In July 2016 the Island Games AGM unanimously decided to award the games to Guernsey.[6]
The Guernsey organising committee chair, Dame Mary Perkins, supported by Peter Vidamour as sports director and Ian Damarell as Finance Director. The International Island Games Association (IIGA) advisor was Eric Legg.[7]
Opening of games
An opening ceremony was held on the seafront of St Peter Port on 8 July led by Gibraltar, where thousands turned out to greet the 24 teams taking part in the week's competitions. Each participating nation brought a sample of water from their own island to add to water from the previous games, in a fountain in a symbolic gesture, to announce the opening of the games,[8][9] a tradition started at the Åland 1991 games.
Volunteers
The games are only possible with the help of volunteers.
Over 1,200 Guernsey volunteers had been trained to provide assistance at the various games venues.[10] In addition, the Isle of Man had lent seven Police officers and Gibraltar and Australia, St John Ambulance staff to supplement the Guernsey facilities, with additional medical vehicles borrowed from the UK for the week.[11][12][9]
Participating islands
24 island entities of the IIGA, from Europe, South Atlantic and the Caribbean area compete in the Games. The newest entrant is Gozo.[13]
Sports
The sports selection followed the same itinerary as the 2019 Island Games however the included sports had changed.[14]
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.
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Medal table
* Host nation (Guernsey)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guernsey (GUE)* | 54 | 49 | 42 | 145 |
| 2 |  Jersey (JEY) | 41 | 41 | 44 | 126 |
| 3 |  Isle of Man (IOM) | 20 | 16 | 27 | 63 |
| 4 |  Faroe Islands (FRO) | 17 | 21 | 26 | 64 |
| 5 |  Isle of Wight (IOW) | 15 | 15 | 8 | 38 |
| 6 |  Gotland | 11 | 5 | 8 | 24 |
| 7 |  Saaremaa | 10 | 8 | 3 | 21 |
| 8 |  Menorca | 7 | 8 | 4 | 19 |
| 9 |  Ynys Môn | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 |
| 10 |  Cayman Islands (CAY) | 5 | 4 | 9 | 18 |
| 11 |  Åland (ALA) | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| 12 |  Gibraltar (GIB) | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
| 13 |  Bermuda (BER) | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| 14 |  Greenland (GRL) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 15 |  Falkland Islands (FLK) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 Gozo | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 17 |  Western Isles | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 18 |  Shetland (SHE) | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 |  Hitra | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 20 |  Orkney | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 21 |  Sark | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (21 entries) | 199 | 198 | 214 | 611 | |
Venues
| Sport | Venue |
|---|---|
| Archery | Rovers AC - Port Soif, Vale |
| Athletics | Footes Lane, St Peter Port |
| Badminton | Badminton Hall, St Peter Port |
| Basketball | Beau Sejour, St Peter Port and St Sampson's High School, St Sampson's |
| Bowls | Indoor Bowls Stadium, Vale |
| Cycling | Styx Community Centre, Saint Pierre du Bois |
| Football | Corbet Field, Northfield and The Track, St Sampson's, Blanches Pierre Lane, St Martin's, College Field and Footes Lane, St Peter Port |
| Golf | L'Ancresse Golf Course, Vale |
| Sailing | Guernsey Yacht Club, St Peter Port |
| Shooting | Aztech Centre, Portinfer, Fort Le Marchant and Chouet, Vale and Mont Herault, Saint Pierre du Bois |
| Swimming | Beau Sejour, St Peter Port |
| Table Tennis | Guernsey Table Tennis Centre, Vale |
| Tennis | Guernsey Tennis Centre, St Sampson's |
| Triathlon | St Peter Port Seafront and Rocquaine, St Peter's |
References
- "Guernsey 2021 NatWest International Island Games latest casualty of Covid-19". Guernsey 2021. 26 September 2020.
- "2021 Island Games Postponed To 2023". 9 December 2020.
- "Kaur Kivistik takes 10,000 meter gold in Guernsey". 11 July 2023.
- "Island Games return after four years". 8 July 2023.
- "Guernsey to host the 2021 Island Games". International Island Games Association. 7 July 2016.
- "Island Games: Guernsey to bid to host 2021 event". BBC. 4 August 2015.
- "Guernsey 2021 organising committee taking shape". Guernsey Press. 22 September 2016.
- "First WI win of the Games". 9 July 2023.
- "Team Gibraltar leads Island Games parade as athletes unite in spectacular opening ceremony". 9 July 2023.
- "Ravenscroft staff volunteer for 2023 Island Games". 19 May 2023.
- "Seven Manx officers head to Guernsey to help police Island Games". 8 July 2023.
- "St John's Ambulance volunteers head Guernsey for 2023 International Island Games". 29 June 2023.
- "Gozo joins International Island Games Association (IIGA)". 9 July 2022.
- "Home - Guernsey 2023". guernsey2023.gg. Retrieved 29 April 2023.