MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Five Falklands’ athletes to compete at Commonwealth Youth Games

Swimmer Sorrel Pompert-Robertson, 14, last June competed at the Nat-West Island Games on the Isle of Wight (Photo FIOGA)

The Falkland Islands will be represented with five athletes and four officials in the 4th Commonwealth Youth Games begin to be held in the Isle of Man September 8th to 12th 2011. The delegation will be headed by Falkland Islands Overseas Games Association, (FIOGA) chair Mike Summers.

FIOGA vice-chair Stephen Dent is attending as the games team manager. Assisting Steve with administration and coaching swimming will be FIOGA Capacity Support Officer Natalie Brett. Overseas coach Rebecca Pantaney and senior competitor and coach Doug Clark will be coaching the badminton team.

Steve Fowmes will be joining the team as the media representative from FITV.

The Falklands’ athletes have been training very hard over the past couple of months to prepare for the high level of competition they will face. Representing the Islands are 14 year old swimmer Sorrel Pompert-Robertson, who competed in her first international competition this past June in the NatWest Island Games on the Isle of Wight; and badminton players Laura Minto, Jordan Phillips, Sofia Arkhipkina, and Dominic Jaffray, the latter two also competed in the Isle of Wight in June.

This will be the first Commonwealth Youth Games for all five athletes and they are excited to be representing the Falklands.

The Youth Games opening ceremony will take place on September 8th in Douglas, followed by three days of competition and ending with a cultural day in Castletown and the closing ceremony on the 12th of September.