2019 Island Games

The XVIII Island Games (also known as the 2019 NatWest Island Games for sponsorship reasons) was held in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar between 6 and 12 July 2019. This was the second time that the territory has hosted the games, the first being in 1995.

2019 Island Games
Host Gibraltar
Teams participating24 islands
Athletes participating≈2,000
Events14 sports
Opening ceremony6 July 2019
Closing ceremony12 July 2019
Officially opened byEd Davis
Websitegibraltar2019.com

Controversially, the games did not include archery, cycling, football, or volleyball, which have been in all previous games since 1985, due to the lack of venues, instead they were replaced by tenpin bowling, judo, and squash. Gibraltar's sports facilities were greatly redeveloped throughout 2018. Cycling was subsequently included on the list of events on the Games official website, while the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament was announced as a substitute for the lack of football.[1]

Host

The Faroe Islands were initially scheduled to stage the 2019 games, with the 2021 games taking place in Menorca, but in 2014 the hosts were swapped following issues with the Faroese facilities being ready in time.[2] Menorca then withdrew from hosting the 2019 games in July 2015 following a change in government.[3] After the Isle of Man and 2015 hosts Jersey confirmed that they would not apply as replacements,[3][4] Gibraltar announced in August their intention to host the games,[5] and were officially announced as hosts in April 2016.[6] Gibraltar has appointed an executive committee to manage the event.

On 2 May 2018 it was announced that Ynys Môn would hold an unofficial football tournament to replace the absence of the sport in the actual Games. Islands that are regulars to the Games were expected to attend.[7]

Participating islands

22 island entities of the IIGA, from Europe, South Atlantic and the Caribbean area, competed in these Games. Both Rhodes and Froya did not compete in the games.

Sports

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.[8][9][10]

Venues
Sport Venue
Shooting Rifle Shooting Range, IPSC Shooting Range
Basketball & Tennis Tercentenary Hall & Bayside Sports Complex
Judo Devils Tower Camp Gym
Triathlon Eastern Beach
Ten Pin Bowling Kings Bastion Leisure Centre
Sailing Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club
Tennis Sandpits Lawn Tennis Club
Table Tennis St Joseph's Middle School
Shooting Clay Shooting Range
Athletics, Shooting & Swimming Lathbury Sports Complex
Beach Volleyball Camp Bay
Badminton & Squash Europa Point Sports Complex

[11]

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Gibraltar)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Jersey33312993
2 Isle of Man29221768
3 Faroe Islands22112760
4 Guernsey19373187
5 Saaremaa1612634
6 Gotland13141643
7 Åland Islands1271635
8 Cayman Islands1110930
9 Isle of Wight1181534
10 Gibraltar*812929
11 Menorca8101331
12 Western Isles4228
13 Greenland2248
14 Shetland211114
15 Ynys Môn2136
16 Orkney1326
17 Bermuda06814
18 Hitra0213
19 Sark0101
20 Alderney0000
 Falkland Islands0000
 Saint Helena0000
Totals (22 nations)193192219604

References
  1. North Wales Chronicle article announcing tournament
  2. "Guernsey to bid to host 2023 or 2025 Island Games". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 July 2014.
  3. Law, James (6 July 2015). "Island Games: Menorca pull out of hosting 2019 event". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  4. Kneale, Dave (10 July 2015). "Isle of Man not in running to step in and host 2019 Island Games". Isle of Man Today. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  5. "Island Games: Gibraltar bid to host 2019 competition". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. "Gib set for 2019 NatWest Island Games". Gibraltar Chronicle. 11 April 2016. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  7. "Ynys Mon to host unofficial 2019 'Island Games' football tournament". BBC. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  8. "2019 Island Games: Gibraltar axes football, cycling and volleyball". BBC. 20 October 2015.
  9. "Guernsey to host the 2021 Island Games". IIGA.
  10. "2019 Island Games: Sports".
  11. "Venues". Gibraltar 2019 Natwest International Island Games XVIII. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
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