Jersey ask Guernsey for Island Games bid support

The organiser of Jersey's bid to host the 2015 Island Games has called on Guernsey for their support.

Next year's Games will be held in the Isle of Wight, with it in Bermuda two years later and there is fierce competition for hosting the 2015 Games.

Either Gotland or Jersey will be named hosts at the International Island Games Association's AGM on 27 June.

Jersey's bid committee chairman Phil Austin said: "Obviously we would very much like the support of Guernsey."

He continued: "It also leaves a legacy, once you've had the Games here you have the legacy of maybe better facilities or improved facilities, more officials and more volunteers, etc. so it is important.

"We also think in Jersey that it will be 18 years since we've had it and as one of the larger islands we fell we have a sense of responsibility to offer ourselves as a host island.

We have no insight at all as to how each island is going to vote, but we're assuming it is going to be very close

Jersey's bid committee chairman Phil Austin

"I think it will be very close to be honest - the two bids are very strong bids and we're expecting the voting on the day to be very, very close.

"We have no insight at all as to how each island is going to vote, but we're assuming it is going to be very close."

Each of Guernsey's 18 sports, all those that feature in the Games, will be asked to vote on which island they would prefer to host the event in five years' time and the majority decision will then be put forward as the island's vote at the AGM.

Two other issues on the agenda for the AGM are the size of the Games and the bid process in the future.

The number of member islands has already been capped at 25, but Austin said: "Some of the smaller islands now feel they could no longer host a Games and that's sad, but I know the executive committee are looking at how they can address that."

The bid process has also been described as prohibitively expensive for some of the islands and one suggested solution is a rota among some or all of the member islands, each taking its turn to host the event.