Youngsters have no fear

GUERNSEY have a lot to live up to in the table tennis hall in Rhodes. The Sarnians returned two years ago from Shetland as Island Games team champions along with three silver medals and two bronze from the individual and doubles events.

But team captain Phil Hunkin does not believes the success of the previous Games adds extra pressure this time around.

'I think it gives us a bit more confidence if anything,' he said.

'It was a breakthrough for us to win team gold in Shetland and we hope to repeat that as well as perhaps add one or two individual golds having come away with silvers last time.'

For a team with five under-19 players and four of them Games debutants, the experience they have is extraordinary.

Island champion Scott Romeril is the one youngster to have been to the Games, but Garry Dodd, Adam Langlois, Alice Loveridge and Paula Le Ber are already regular headline-makers and have made many trips away to compete in national and international events.

Hunkin has no concerns over the possibility of them getting stage fright.

'They will adapt well. They are pretty used to tournament table tennis,' he said.

'They cannot wait for it to start.

'They have been training really hard on their fitness so that's not a worry for me and the fact that they are young means they are naturally energetic and enthusiastic.

'We have a big tournament - the British Schools International - here in Guernsey this weekend and that will be ideal preparation for our younger players for Rhodes.'

Experienced campaigners Peter Bretel, Kay Chivers and Dawn Morgan complete the eight-strong playing party who are likely to be in action for the duration of the Games.

The week opens with the team competition, which will be held over the opening three days, and Guernsey have been drawn alongside Saaremaa, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Jersey and Rhodes.

The singles and doubles events follow from Wednesday to the Friday.

'There's a lot of table tennis to be played - the better players will be in action every day,' Hunkin said.

'Faroes, Gotland and Jersey will probably be the main threats.'

The singles winners from Shetland came from those first two places with Thomas Rasmussen taking the men's title and Evelina Carlsson the women's.

The male Faroe Islands star will not be defending his gold medal but Games regular Carlsson, who beat Morgan in the singles final two years ago, is competing.

Unfortunately, Guernsey's men's finalist from Shetland and winner of four medals there Phil Ogier is unavailable for Rhodes.

'We are going to miss Phil, but we have got as strong a team overall as we ever have had,' Hunkin said.

'Women-wise, we could not have got any stronger.'