This year some of the most remote islands are gathering to compete in the Natwest World Island Games. The huge competition that happens every two years is to be held on the island of Rhodes in Greece. The games are being held from June 30-July 6.

More than 2,700 athletes from 25 Islands compete in 14 different sports. Some of the islands are Shetland, Bermuda, Greenland, Minorca, Gibraltar and the Western Isles.

 For the second time the Western Isles is sending a team. Many people from North Uist are competing in different sports but our main hopes lie with the shooting team and runner Iain MacCorquodale.

Ex Paible pupil Marina Macdougall took part in the 2005 World Island Games and is also going this year to compete in the 800m. She was trained by national coach Jim Warnock. Marina said, “The best thing about the games was meeting different people from different islands and going to Rhodes is also exciting for me. I have to do extra training for Rhodes because it is in warmer conditions and I’m not used to running in such warm conditions. Training has to go on nearly everyday.”

Emma Macsween, general team manager for the Western Isles, said, “Our strongest hopefuls are the football, athletics and swimming teams but our tennis player has a lot of training to do”. She also looks forward to meeting new people from different tropical islands.

Rhodes has a wealthy historyand throughout the centuries, it has been a prime location for holiday makers due to the excellent weather, scenery and climate. It has many well preserved monuments for limitless sightseeing, which range from Ancient to  Medieval times and finally to the present day.  

By Steven and Andrew 2x