Five-man team named for ‘Gib’
GUERNSEY have named a five-strong judo team to compete in this summer’s NatWest Island Games in Gibraltar.
The Sarnians, who will have Eddie Mann as team manager and coach, will be represented in three weight categories.
At under 73kg Lewis Bourgaize and Tom Barclay both enter, at under 81kg Louis Plevin, who competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and Howard Joyce are selected, while Peter Childs challenges at under 90kg.
For the five there will be up to three events in which they can challenge for medals – the individual, team (one per weight category) and the Open, where two athletes in any weight category can compete.
Mann says that this is a fantastic opportunity for those selected because judo is not always a sport that partakes in the Island Games.
It is not in the schedule for either Guernsey (2021) or Orkney (2023), so they intend to make the most of this opportunity.
He said the athletes have been training hard, entering a variety of competitions in the build-up to the Games, and is hopeful that they will be able to bring home some medals.
Overall, the athletes have said that they are looking forward to representing Guernsey at the Island Games and are confident in their own abilities when on the judo mat.
To assist with their preparations the five benefited from a coaching visit from 6th Dan Oxford University coach Chris Doherty, which was made possible by funding from Guernsey games team sponsor Generali.
