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Island Games: Isle of Wight chosen as host of 2011 games

The membership of the International Island Games Association have chosen the Isle of Wight as the host island for the Games in 2011.

Seventy-five delegates and observers from across the member islands attended the AGM in Rhodes and heard presentations from local organising committees from the Isle of Wight and Bermuda, both of which had bid to host the event.

Three Executive Committee members visited both islands and presented detailed reports to the member Island Games Associations earlier this year. Since then each association had been encouraged to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of holding the event in the two locations.

However, delegates were impressed by the opportunities for competitors in the Isle of Wight as outlined in the presentation and by the amount of planning and research which had been undertaken by the Island’s organisers.

For the first time the host island has been chosen during a non-Games year. One advantage of this was that delegates had more time to discuss the pros and cons of the option before them, at a time when they were not pre-occupied with the competition itself. It also gives the new host island an extra year in which to prepare for the event.

IGA Chairman, Brian Partington, said that both presentations had been informative and professional and that he is delighted that there is no shortage of islands wishing to host the Games.

Full details of the winning bid can be found on the Isle of Wight’s website at www.iwight.co/islandgames

Click here: to watch a recording of the election.

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