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.

2023 Island Games
Host Guernsey
Teams24 islands
Athletes2,194
Events14 sports
Opening8 July 2023 (2023-07-08)
Closing14 July 2023 (2023-07-14)
Main venueFootes Lane
Websitehttp://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.

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Guernsey)

2023 Island Games Medals
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Guernsey (GUE)*544942145
2 Jersey (JEY)414144126
3 Isle of Man (IOM)20162763
4 Faroe Islands (FRO)17212664
5 Isle of Wight (IOW)1515838
6 Gotland115824
7 Saaremaa108321
8 Menorca78419
9 Ynys Môn67518
10 Cayman Islands (CAY)54918
11 Åland (ALA)44614
12 Gibraltar (GIB)331016
13 Bermuda (BER)22610
14 Greenland (GRL)2136
15 Falkland Islands (FLK)1214
 Gozo1214
17 Western Isles0415
18 Shetland (SHE)0347
19 Hitra0156
20 Orkney0112
21 Sark0101
Totals (21 entries)199198214611

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
  • Results Book of the 2023 games

References

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