MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands sportsmen and women excel at Island Games.

Unlike two years ago, when the Falklands shooting team returned home from the ISLAND GAMES with a Gold, two silver and several bronze medals, the 38 sportsmen and women who competed in 6 sports in the 2001 Games, came back this time empty handed, but with much pride and considerable success to record.

The NatWest Island Games involve 22 Islands world-wide, ranging from 2 little islands called Froya and Hitra in the Norwegian fjords with populations of 2,000 and 4,000 respectively, to larger Islands like Gotland (Sweden), Sareema (Estonia), Greenland and British Islands such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man where the 2001 Games have just ended. The criteria is simply that populations must be 125,000 or less. Bermuda has just been taken in, and when the total reaches 25 the gates will close until an Island drops out and can be replaced. The Island Games are the ultra-friendly Games and it is not uncommon to see sporting coaches from one Island offer support to a much smaller competing Island.

The Falklands first took part in 1993 and this year sent their biggest team ever with competitors in Athletics, Badminton, Golf, Football, Shooting and Swimming. The Falklands Government generously gave US$25,000 to assist with the costs of travel, while the remaining US$60,000 was raised through a massive fund raising effort, sponsorship, donations, local football pools and in some cases the competitors using their own money. The Falkland Islands Company spondored the tracksuits for the 5th successive time.

4 years ago a Falklands football team made an historic first ever 3 match tour of the Magallanes region of Chile, winning the International trophy. So successful was that tour that the then Argentine Foreign Minister Guido Di Tella pleaded with Team Manager Patrick Watts to take a Falklands team to Ushuaia the following summer on an all expenses paid tour. The committee and players were un-enthusiastic about visiting Argentina then and the idea fell by the wayside.

The soccer team which went to the Isle of Man last week started badly with a 9-0 reverse against the host island, but improved considerably losing just 3-0, with a last minute disputed penalty, against the eventual gold medal winners, Guernsey. A disappointing 4-0 defeat against Greenland the largest island attending the Games, followed, but it was in the final match that the Falklands players had their proudest moment. Playing for the 11/12 positions against the larger Orkney Islands (pop. 20,000) the Falklands deservedly triump