2023 Island Games

2023 Island Games

Host	Guernsey
Teams	24 islands
Athletes	2,194
Events	14 sports
Opening	8 July 2023 (2023-07-08)
Closing	14 July 2023 (2023-07-14)
Main venue	Footes Lane
Website	http://guernsey2023.gg/

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 would host the games, the first being in 1987, and the second in 2003.

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 was 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.

•  Åland Islands
•  Alderney
•  Bermuda
•  Cayman Islands
•  Falkland Islands
•  Faroe Islands
•  Frøya
•  Gibraltar
•  Gotland
•  Gozo
•  Greenland
•  Guernsey (Host)
•  Hitra
•  Isle of Man
•  Isle of Wight
•  Jersey
• Menorca
•  Orkney
•  Saaremaa
•  Saint Helena
•  Sark
•  Shetland Islands
• Western Isles
• Ynys Môn

Sports

The sports selection followed the same itinerary as the 2019 Island Games however the included sports had changed.^[13]

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.

•  Archery (14) (details)
•  Athletics (42) (details)
•  Badminton (6) (details)
•  Basketball (2) (details)
•  Bowls (3) (details)
•  Cycling (20) (details)
  • Mountain biking (8)
  • Road (12)
•  Football (2) (details)
•  Golf (4) (details)
•  Sailing (3) (details)
•  Shooting (43) (details)
•  Swimming (45) (details)
•  Table tennis (6) (details)
•  Tennis (7) (details)
•  Triathlon (5) (details)

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Guernsey)

2023 Island Games Medals

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

External links

• [1] Results Book of the 2023 games

References

1. "Guernsey 2021 NatWest International Island Games latest casualty of Covid-19". Guernsey 2021. 26 September 2020.
2. "2021 Island Games Postponed To 2023". 9 December 2020.
3. "Kaur Kivistik takes 10,000 meter gold in Guernsey". 11 July 2023.
4. "Island Games return after four years". 8 July 2023.
5. "Guernsey to host the 2021 Island Games". International Island Games Association. 7 July 2016.
6. "Island Games: Guernsey to bid to host 2021 event". BBC. 4 August 2015.
7. "Guernsey 2021 organising committee taking shape". Guernsey Press. 22 September 2016.
8. "First WI win of the Games". 9 July 2023.
9. "Team Gibraltar leads Island Games parade as athletes unite in spectacular opening ceremony". 9 July 2023.
10. "Ravenscroft staff volunteer for 2023 Island Games". 19 May 2023.
11. "Seven Manx officers head to Guernsey to help police Island Games". 8 July 2023.
12. "St John's Ambulance volunteers head Guernsey for 2023 International Island Games". 29 June 2023.
13. "Home - Guernsey 2023". guernsey2023.gg. Retrieved 29 April 2023.