Island Games

The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent different island communities (with one team from the peninsula of Gibraltar) which are IIGA members. Currently all competitor teams represent non-sovereign territories of European nations—some within European waters and some further overseas.

Island Games
GenreMulti-sports event
FrequencyBiennial
Location(s)Various
Inaugurated1985 (1985)
Most recent2019 Island Games
Next event2023 Island Games
Participants~ 2,000
Organised byIIGA
SponsorNatWest International
WebsiteOfficial IIGA website

The most recent edition was the 2019, which took place in Gibraltar with around 2,000 competitors from 22 islands or island groups participating in 14 sports. The next games will be hosted by Guernsey in 2023, postponed from 2021.

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,[1] 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.[2] The Games have grown from strength to strength, with limits now in place for the number of teams, currently 23, and the number of sports at each Games, currently 12 to 14. Sark could be considered the most successful island, their population of 600 having acquired 20 medals by 2015, one for every 30 people.

NatWest International has been the main sponsor of the Games since 1999. In April 2018, they signed a deal extending their sponsorship until at least 2021.

Game venues

Faroese stamp to the 1989 Island Games: Rowing
Football
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 1,500 13
1993 V  Isle of Wight 19 1,448 14
1995 VI  Gibraltar 18 1,214 13
1997 VII  Jersey 20 ~2,000 13
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 1,658 14
2007 XII  Rhodes[3] 25 2,343 14
2009 XIII  Åland 24 2,286 14
2011 XIV  Isle of Wight 24 2,311 14
2013 XV  Bermuda 22 1,296 14
2015 XVI  Jersey 24 2,430 14
2017 XVII  Gotland 23 2,333 14[4]
2019 XVIII  Gibraltar[5][6][7] 22 1,700 14[8]
2021 Postponed due to COVID-19 Pandemic[9][10]
2023 XIX  Guernsey[11][12] 23 ~3,000 14
2025 XX  Orkney[13][12] 13
2027 XXI  Ynys Môn[14][12]
2029 XXII  Isle of Man[12]

Guernsey put in a bid for the 2021 Games following the Faroe Islands' withdrawal from hosting.[15] The bid was approved in July 2016. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Games were cancelled and rescheduled for 2023 with Guernsey still as hosts, with future hosts pushed out by two years as well.

Orkney will host the 2025 Games. They were awarded the right to host on 7 July 2018 at the AGM in Gibraltar.

In May 2018, the Parliament of the Faroe Islands guaranteed €1,500,000 towards hosting the Games in or before 2029.[16]

In August 2018 it was reported that the Falkland Islands are considering hosting the Games in 2033, and "the Island Games Executive is planning to visit the Falklands in 2020 for their Spring Meeting" to discuss the proposition.[17]

Participation

A total of 27 islands, island groups or territories have participated in the Island Games; eleven of these have participated in every Island Games.

Island Games participants and total medals won
Island(s) Country (and status) Population Years Gold Silver Bronze Total
 Åland Finland Finland (autonomous province) 28,666 1985– 187196184.5567.5
 Alderney United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (island part of the crown dependency of Guernsey) 1,900 1987, 1993– 0235
 Bermuda United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (overseas territory) 64,200 2003– 105113113331
 Cayman Islands United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (overseas territory) 56,700 1999– 12810382313
 Falkland Islands United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (overseas territory) 2,900 1993– 191222
 Faroe Islands Denmark Denmark (autonomous territory) 49,700 1985– 252234275761
 Frøya Norway Norway (municipality island) 4,300 1985– 1124
 Gibraltar United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (overseas territory) 30,000 1987– 74.583.5109267
 Gotland Sweden Sweden (county) 57,200 1985– 325.5240.5244810
 Greenland Denmark Denmark (autonomous territory) 56,081 1989– 223035.587.5
 Guernsey United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (crown dependency) 65,800 1985– 4825004921474
 Hitra Norway Norway (municipality island) 4,250 1985–1989, 1997– 491022
 Isle of Man United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (crown dependency) 84,500 1985– 510479433.51422.5
 Isle of Wight United Kingdom United Kingdom (English county) 138,400 1985– 188183212583
 Jersey United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (crown dependency) 105,500 1985– 593584516.31693.3
Menorca Menorca Spain Spain (island) 94,400 2007– 504967166
 Orkney Islands United Kingdom United Kingdom (Scottish council area) 21,300 1985– 234043106
 Saaremaa Estonia Estonia (county) 31,000 1991– 11612198.5335.5
 Saint Helena United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (overseas territory) 4,250 1985–1987, 1997– 33511
 Sark United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (island part of the crown dependency of Guernsey) 600 1987–2011, 2015– 316726
 Shetland Islands United Kingdom United Kingdom (Scottish council area) 23,200 1985– 6280109251
 Western Isles United Kingdom United Kingdom (Scottish council area) 27,400 2005– 28222676
Anglesey Ynys Môn United Kingdom United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1] (Welsh principal area) 69,700 1985– 373552124
 Iceland 329,000 1985–1997 504540.7135.7
 Malta 445,000 1985–1987 62210
 Prince Edward Island Canada Canada (province) 140,000 1991–2007 66921
 Rhodes Greece Greece (island) 115,500 1999–2011, 2015 535245150

Islands marked in grey are no longer members of the IIGA and so cannot compete at the Island Games.

Of the 23 current IIGA members, two (Bermuda and the Cayman Islands) have competed in their own right at the Olympic Games. Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey and St. Helena have each sent teams to the Commonwealth Games.

Medals (1985-2019)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Great Britain2237.52252.52214.86704.8
2 Sweden325.5240.5244810
3 Denmark274264310.5848.5
4 Finland187196184.5567.5
5 Estonia11612198.5335.5
6 Greece535245150
7 Spain504967166
8 Iceland504540.7135.7
9 Canada66921
10 Malta62210
11 Norway5101227
Totals (11 entries)3310323832289776

Sports

The host country chooses between 12 and 14 different sports for their games from this list:

Sport I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII Total XIX XX
Archery Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY 15Green tickY
Athletics Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY18Green tickY
Badminton Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY17Green tickY
Basketball Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY10Green tickY
Bowls (Indoor‡,
Outdoor, or Ten Pin*)
Green tickYGreen tickY*Green tickY Green tickY*4Green tickY
Cycling Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY17Green tickY
Football Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY 16Green tickY
Golf Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY 13Green tickY
Gymnastics Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY12Green tickY
Judo Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY7
Sailing (may include
Sailboarding*)
Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY*Green tickY* Green tickY13Green tickY
Shooting Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY18
Squash Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY4
Swimming Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY18Green tickY
Table Tennis Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY16Green tickY
Tennis Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY14Green tickY
Triathlon Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY Green tickY Green tickY7Green tickY
Volleyball (may include
Beach Volleyball*)
Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY*Green tickYGreen tickYGreen tickY*Green tickY* Green tickY* Green tickY*18
Total sports 791113141313141515141414141414 14 1414

Notably, the Island Games' football tournament is one of the most well-established tournaments of non-FIFA international football.

Olympic athletes

Islanders who have gone on to participate in Olympic Games events include:

Notes

  1. British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are not official part of the United Kingdom but their sovereignty is the responsibility of the United Kingdom as they are not sovereign countries themselves.

References

  1. "Inaugural Inter-Island Games - Isle of Man 1985". iiga.org.
  2. "The Games". Jersey2015.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  3. "NatWest Island Games - Rhodes 2007 June 30th - July 6th". Rhodes Results 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  4. "2017 sports". Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  5. James Law. "BBC Sport - Island Games: Menorca pull out of hosting 2019 event". BBC Sport.
  6. "BBC Sport - Island Games: Gibraltar bid to host 2019 competition". BBC Sport.
  7. "Guernsey to host the 2021 Island Games". IIGA.
  8. "2019 Island Games: Gibraltar axes football, cycling and volleyball".
  9. "Guernsey NatWest International Island Games 2021 postponed". International Island Games Association. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  10. "'Stability needed after Games postponement'". Jersey Evening Post. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. "Guernsey to host 2021 Island Games". BBC News. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  12. "2021 Island Games Postponed To 2023". 9 December 2020.
  13. "Orkney to host 2023 Island Games". 7 July 2018.
  14. "Ynys Môn secure rights to host International Island Games". 28 September 2020.
  15. "Island Games: Guernsey to bid to host 2021 event". 4 August 2015.
  16. "Faroe Islands to bid for the Island Games". 30 May 2018.
  17. "Falklands wants to host the 2033 Island Games". 27 August 2018.
  18. "About the Games". IIGA.
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