Le Tocq doubtful but badminton confident of third Island Games team gold in four attempts
THEIR star name's involvement remains unconfirmed, but regardless, Guernsey are confident of winning their third team event gold medal in four attempts.
THEIR star name's involvement remains unconfirmed, but regardless, Guernsey are confident of winning their third team event gold medal in four attempts.
At both the Isle of Wight 2011 and Bermuda 2013 editions, the Sarnians were celebrating on the top step of the podium after dramatic late-night successes.
Key to both of those memorable summers was Paul Le Tocq, who faces a race against time to see whether he can recover from a knee injury sustained last month.
The 35-year-old will have a fitness test next week to decide whether or not he will make it to his first Games in four years, having missed Jersey 2015 where Guernsey finished fourth.
Either way, team manager Sue Naftel is confident in a Guernsey side who will face Menorca, Ynys Mon and Orkney when they begin their quest for team glory.
'Our aim is to go there and to try and win the team event gold medal and I am very confident that we have the players and the team to do that,' she said.
'Firstly we need to get out of our group and I expect Menorca to be the main challenge to that, before possibly facing the Faroes in the semis, who are always strong.
'More often than not, these matches can hinge on the odd close set here and there throughout, like they did in 2011 and 2013, as well as when we lost in the 2015 semi-finals.
Full preview in Friday's Guernsey Press.
