Giga excited to be heading to Orkney for 2023 Games
ORKNEY has been confirmed as the host island for the 2023 Island Games.
Following unanimous support at the Island Games annual general meeting in Gibraltar last weekend, it was announced that the Scottish archipelago will be making its Games hosting debut in five years’ time.
Guernsey Island Games Association director Jon Marley was pleased to see one of the smaller and less involved islands selected to host the 2023 Games.
‘Up to that stage it was always the same islands and a few that have pitched in once, such as Bermuda and Rhodes, so it’s great that another one is set to host,’ he said.
‘Some of the sports’ numbers are down a bit and travel to the island will be a little bit problematic but, on the whole, it is exciting.
‘It would be the smallest host island [ever] population-wise, which is really good.’
The fairly large but sparsely populated archipelago will support 13 of the 18 applicable sports, with basketball, judo, table tennis, tennis and volleyball set to be absent.
The remaining facilities have already been approved by international executives and Orkney’s hosting debut may be part of a wider plan for the Island Games’ development over coming years.
Over in Gibraltar, Marley joined several others who discussed the ‘friendly Games’ as a whole and raised hopes of growing the biennial sporting highlight.
‘There has been a very good workshop on the future of the Island Games with some very good points which should help develop the Games,’ he added.
‘We came up with some ideas and everybody’s going to test them and see if they work.’
