Menorca application pushes Games to limit

MENORCA could have the Island Games Association bursting at the seams. The Spanish island in the western Mediterranean with a population of 82,000 wants to become the 25th member of the NatWest Island Games community.

Chairman of the International Island Games Association executive Bo Frykenstam and his vice-chairman, Brian Parting-ton, have received an invitation from Presidenta del Consell Insular de Menorca to visit the island from 19-23 January.

There they will meet political representatives as well as those from sports federations, potential sponsors and the media. There will also be an opportunity to see their sports facilities.

'There is a limit of 25 islands and so there is only one spot left. Menorca first approached the IIGA two years ago; we were almost in our way to make a visit but they decided that they were not ready at that time,' said Frykenstam.

'Many member islands are concerned that the Games should not be too big, so that is the limit for the time being. If a member island will leave the association there will be a vacancy but I do not think that it is likely that the membership will want the association to be more than 25 islands.'

Menorca's application for membership goes before the March meeting of the executive committee, which takes place in Stornoway in the Western Isles of Scotland between the 12 and 16 of the month.

A decision will be taken and a recommendation to that effect put before the annual meeting in July in Shetland.

It is believed another island may also be considering applying for membership though no confirmation was possible and no further details were available.

However, if that were the case, the IIGA executive would have to decide between the two, as only one space is available.

The IIGA had recently decided to become more proactive in its search for new members, rather than waiting for applications to be submitted and dealing with them in a first-come, first-served basis.

'The executive committee in making recommendations and the IGA in making decisions shall look to greater diversity in relation to culture, language, location and size of a particular island applying for membership', reads a clause in the IIGA constitution.