The friendly Games!

‘The Friendly Games’ is a title that was originally given to the Commonwealth Games, and it still applies to that event to some extent. Since the Island Games started in 1985 however, I think that moniker is even truer of this brilliant two-yearly sporting contest between 25 islands worldwide. Right from the start, the constitution of the Island Games stated that one of its key aims was “to promote friendship between island communities” and I think it does that brilliantly.

Every athlete who has been to the Island Games will have got to know some of their rivals from the other islands, and in some cases lifelong friendships have been born. These days, social networking sites such as Facebook have made it easy to keep in touch with friends from all over the world, and of course the Power of 10 website is a great help in tracking the progress of athletes from other islands.

If I can offer just one piece of advice to this year’s Island Games newcomers, it is to take the time to get to know some of your opponents from the other islands. They may well be fierce rivals on the track or in the field, but you will find it really rewarding to make new friends from other parts of the world and look forward to seeing them and taking them on every two years.

John Halligan (left) and Carlos Truyol Alles of Minorca (centre) chase Guernsey's Lee Garland during the 3000m steeplechase race in Rhodes in 2007. John won the gold, Carlos silver and Lee bronze (photo Ian Astin) 

Carlos and John celebrate on the podium with their medals after the race (photo Ian Astin)

Minorca has only been taking part in the Island Games since 2007, and in their debut event in Rhodes their 3000m steeplechaser Carlos Truyol Alles took the silver medal behind the Isle of Man’s John Halligan. As a direct result of that race Carlos, his brother Victor and sister Eva (also Island Games athletes) became firm friends with John and his now wife Sarah (nee Dowling), to the extent that Carlos and Victor came over to the Isle of Man for last year’s Easter Festival.

Carlos and Victor enjoying the scenery on Peel Hill during the 2010 Easter Athletics Festival (photo Victor Truyol Alles)

This Easter just gone, Victor (who is the team manager for the Minorcan athletics team in the Isle of Wight this summer) returned to the Isle of Man, this time with his sister Eva. They again had a wonderful few days of athletics, sightseeing and catching up with friends. John and Sarah are also planning to reciprocate with a trip to Minorca in the not too distant future. To me, that is a perfect example of what the Island Games is all about, aside from the competition itself.

Victor, John, Sarah and Eva pictured at a slightly lower level in Peel at Easter 2011 (photo Sarah Halligan)

On a similar theme, Gail has kept in regular touch with Shetland’s distance runner Michelle Sandison since the last Games in Aland. Michelle brilliantly won the 10,000m gold medal in her home Games in 2005, but missed 2007 through injury. She bravely battled through her continuing injury problems in the 2009 event but was a long way short of her 2005 form. Over the past two years she has worked very hard and has been running well over the past winter. She and Gail will be giving their all to put one over on each other in the 10,000 metres race in this year’s Games, but just as importantly will remain friends afterwards whatever the result.

Gail Griffiths and Michelle Sandison line up for the 10,000 metres race in Aland in 2009. Who will come out on top in 2011? (photo Anthony Brand) 

I am sure that many other friendships will be forged during the 2011 Island Games on the Isle of Wight, continuing this great tradition that started back in 1985.