Island Games
The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are an international multi-sports event organised by the International Island Games Association. The most recent games were held in Jersey (except the gymnastics, which were held on a different island[1]) from 27 June to 3 July 2015, with around 3000 competitors from 24 competing islands or island groups competing in 14 sports.
History
The Island Games began in 1985 as the Inter-Island Games, as part of the Isle of Man International Year of Sport, and were intended to be a one-off sporting celebration only. Geoffrey Corlett, who became the first Games Director, not only contacted the islands surrounding the United Kingdom, but also encouraged the countries of Iceland and Malta, the territories of Faroe Islands, Greenland, Saint Helena, the Channel Islands and others to participate. Initially, fifteen islands with 600 competitors and officials took part in seven sports,[2] with the total cost of staging the Games being put at £70,000. The track and field events were held on an eight-lane grass track, a far cry from the current games, which now use synthetic tracks in stadiums capable of holding thousands of spectators. The Games of 1985 were so successful that organisers decided to hold a similar event two years later.[3]
Game venues
Year | Games | Host Island | Participating Islands |
Athletes | Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | I | Isle of Man | 15 | 700 | 7 |
1987 | II | Guernsey | 18 | 1,049 | 9 |
1989 | III | Faroe Islands | 15 | 800 | 11 |
1991 | IV | Åland | 17 | 1,700 | 13 |
1993 | V | Isle of Wight | 19 | 1,448 | 14 |
1995 | VI | Gibraltar | 18 | 1,214 | 14 |
1997 | VII | Jersey | 20 | ~2,000 | 14 |
1999 | VIII | Gotland | 22 | 1,858 | 14 |
2001 | IX | Isle of Man | 22 | 2,020 | 15 |
2003 | X | Guernsey | 23 | 2,129 | 15 |
2005 | XI | Shetland | 24 | ~2,400 | 14 |
2007 | XII | Rhodes | 25 | ~3,000 | 14 |
2009 | XIII | Åland | 24 | ~3,300 | 14 |
2011 | XIV | Isle of Wight | 24 | 2,306 | 14 |
2013 | XV | Bermuda | 22 | 1,127 | 14 |
2015 | XVI | Jersey | 24 | ~3,000 | 14 |
2017 | XVII | Gotland | ≈ 24 | ≈ 3,000 | 14[4] |
2019 | XVIII | Gibraltar [5][6] | ≈ 3,000 | 12[7] | |
2021 | XIX | Unknown[8] |
Guernsey has put in a bid for the 2021 games following the Faroe Islands withdrawal from hosting.[9] There are no other bidders.
Orkney have indicated that they are willing to play host for the 2023 games.[10]
Ynys Môn are contemplating a bid for the 2025 games.[11]
Participation
A total of twenty-seven islands have participated in the Island Games, of which eleven islands have participated in every Island Games.
Island | Country | Population | Years | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Åland | Finnish autonomous province | 28,666 | 1985- | 157 | 172 | 155 | 484 |
Alderney | British crown dependency | 1,900 | 1987, 1993- | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Bermuda | British overseas territory | 64,200 | 2003- | 88 | 80 | 99 | 267 |
Cayman Islands | British overseas territory | 56,700 | 1999- | 99 | 73 | 65 | 237 |
Falkland Islands | British overseas territory | 2,900 | 1993- | 1 | 7 | 11 | 19 |
Faroe Islands | autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark |
49,700 | 1985- | 243 | 187 | 194 | 624 |
Frøya | Norway municipality island of Norway |
4,300 | 1985- | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Gibraltar | British overseas territory | 30,000 | 1987- | 53 | 58 | 88 | 199 |
Gotland | Swedish county | 57,200 | 1985- | 243 | 187 | 194 | 624 |
Greenland | autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark |
56,000 | 1989- | 17 | 21 | 27 | 63 |
Guernsey | British crown dependency | 65,800 | 1985- | 382 | 392 | 429 | 1,203 |
Hitra | Norway Municipality island of Norway |
4,250 | 1985-1989, 1997- | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
Iceland | Iceland | 329,000 | 1985-1997 | 50 | 45 | 41 | 136 |
Isle of Man | British crown dependency | 84,500 | 1985- | 413 | 396 | 407 | 1,216 |
Isle of Wight | English county | 138,400 | 1985- | 160 | 154 | 190 | 504 |
Jersey | British crown dependency | 100,000 | 1985- | 491 | 491 | 444 | 1,426 |
Malta | Malta | 445,000 | 1985-1987 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
Menorca | Spanish island | 94,400 | 2007- | 36 | 34 | 46 | 116 |
Orkney Islands | Scottish council area | 21,300 | 1985- | 20 | 37 | 41 | 98 |
Prince Edward Island | Province of Canada | 140,000 | 1991-2007 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 21 |
Rhodes | Greek island | 115,500 | 1999-2011, 2015- | 51 | 44 | 43 | 138 |
23x15px Saaremaa | Estonian island | 31,000 | 1991- | 77 | 86 | 77 | 238 |
Saint Helena | British overseas territory | 4,250 | 1985-1987, 1997- | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Sark | British crown dependency | 600 | 1987-2011, 2015- | 3 | 9 | 8 | 20 |
Shetland Islands | Scottish council area | 23,200 | 1985- | 48 | 68 | 93 | 209 |
Western Isles | Scottish council area | 27,400 | 2005- | 17 | 13 | 22 | 49 |
Ynys Môn | council area of Wales | 69,700 | 1985- | 27 | 33 | 46 | 106 |
Islands marked in grey are no longer members of the Island Games.
Sports
The host country chooses between 12 and 14 different sports for their games from this list, which also indicates the number of times each sport has been chosen:
Island | Games | Sports | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Archery | 14 | Football | 14 | Squash | 3 |
Athletics | 16 | Golf | 12 | Swimming | 16 |
Badminton | 15 | Gymnastics | 10 | Table Tennis | 14 |
Basketball | 8 | Judo | 6 | Tennis | 12 |
Bowls (Indoor, Outdoor, or Ten Pin) | 3 | Sailing (may include Sailboarding/Windsurfing) | 11 | Triathlon | 5 |
Cycling | 15 | Shooting | 16 | Volleyball (may include Beach Volleyball) | 16 |
Footnotes
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Island Games. |