Following the announcement in September that the Guernsey 2021 NatWest Interna1onal Island Games would be postponed, the Interna1onal Island Games Associa1on (IIGA) has announced that Guernsey will now host the Games in the summer of 2023.
Therefore the plan for future Games will be to move forward the confirmed Host Islands by two years:
Orkney will be 2025, Ynys Mon will be 2027 and the Isle of Man will become the preferred host for 2029.
This decision has been reached after extensive consultation with all of the Member Islands, as well as the Organizing Committees from Guernsey, Orkney, and Ynys Mon and the lead sponsors, NatWest International.
The Chair of the IIGA Jorgen Petersson confirmed that it has not been an easy decision, “Although the outcome of the consultation supported 2023, we have tried hard to find solutions in order to do what we are meant to be doing – develop sports within our islands.
“The pandemic has changed our lives and substantially impacted all our Member Islands, both healthwise and economically. Competitors have not been able to prepare in the usual way through training and competition.
“It is fair to say that we all feel disappointment to not be able to meet and compete until 2023. Sports and friendship have created legacies, memories, passion and ambitions in all our Member Islands. We will meet in Guernsey and we will make sure we continue to develop the sport in our islands. We will now start work with the Organizing Committees to update the agreements with the funding bodies and sponsors”.
Steve Camm, Managing Director of NatWest International said “The bank, of course, recognizes the very difficult decision that the IIGA and the Guernsey Organizing Committee have had to make in postponing the event to 2023. We recognize that our support is an important factor in the ability to stage an event of this size and therefore we have been delighted to reconfirm our support for the Guernsey NatWest International Island Games in 2023. We look forward to continuing to work with the IIGA and the Guernsey Organizing Committee.
“I’m sure we are all hoping for a safer world in the next three years and looking forward to a fantastic NatWest International Island Games – Guernsey style!”
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said “Noting the excellent news that we have a decision on 2023, it enables us to work with the Guernsey Organizing Committee in pulling plans together in line with our sporting strategy for the Bailiwick. This will be a huge event for the Island and we want to host the best event we can for our community and for all of the visiting islands. The decision to move to 2023 will mean plans involving a number of States Committees and partners will have to be changed and developed. We look forward to working with the wider team to show Guernsey at its very best.”
The chair of the Guernsey 2021 Organizing Committee, Dame Mary Perkins said “This is far more than just a sporting event. It brings together Islands in a moment of celebration. Although we were well advanced with our planning, we fully support the decision from the IIGA and firmly believe that the Guernsey 2023 NatWest International Island Games will be an event like no other. We will use this time to work as hard as we can to put on the best event possible and give Guernsey and the other Member Islands something to look forward to and we now have to liaise with everyone involved to get the final date and details. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the States of Guernsey our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and sport coordinators who have helped us to navigate throughout these challenging times”.
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