Smeed targets podium places
GUERNSEY are confident of success on the Island Games clay courts this summer – but are without their star name from 2015.
UK-born Ella Taylor spearheaded a gold medal women's team campaign at Jersey 2015, but with her parents having now left the island, she is no longer eligible to feature.
Nevertheless, it is still a strong team on paper that Guernsey will send over to Gotland in June, particularly on the men's side, where Patrick Ogier is available and selected.
He is joined by Rob West and the Robinson brothers, Pieter and Nico, all of whom have been to multiple Games, while Jo Dyer and Lauren Barker lead the way in the women's quartet.
They are joined by Helen Bonner-Morgan and Natalie Le Cras, both of whom are debutantes, but team manager Richard Smeed is happy with the selections.
'Across the board it is a strong team and with the exception of not having Ella available, this is otherwise exactly the team that would have been picked,' he said. 'We are very strong on the men's side of things and in the team event we are confident of challenging for the gold medal and, to do so, may have to beat Jersey in the final if the tournament goes to seeding.
'Over in the women's team we are still pretty strong and with the seeding we have, there is no reason why we can't reach the medal matches and hopefully win a medal of some colour.'
