A strong team is poised to represent the Cayman Islands at the 12 NatWest Island Games set for Rhodes, Greece 30 June through 6 July.
Cayman’s best will compete in athletics, cycling, basketball, sailing, shooting, swimming, tennis and volleyball.
The Island Games are open to island countries with populations of no more than 120,000 people. The Cayman Islands has participated in four previous Games with impressive results. Richard Parchment, chairman of the Cayman Islands Island Games Committee, believes a top-four finish is possible this year.
It is encouraging to see how well Cayman fares, particularly in team sports, against countries that are of similar population sizes.
Cayman is at a profound disadvantage whenever our athletes compete in team sports against countries with talent pools from which to draw athletes from numbers in the millions.
The numerous medals won at previous Island Games are tangible proof that our sports are fully capable of producing winners when the playing field is level.
Cayman’s enthusiastic participation in the Island Games has proven to be a wise move.
Hopefully, it will continue indefinitely.
Perhaps the biggest payoff is that it allows large numbers of our athletes to experience well-organized and intensely competitive international competition.
This would not happen without the Island Games.
Previously there was no such event that drew so many national teams in so many sports that Cayman could participate in at this level.
The Olympics and Pan American Games, for example, have become far too selective for the Cayman Islands to ever have a realistic chance of competing in several team sports in a single Games.
The Caymanian Compass wishes the best for all our athletes who will depart this week for Greece.
We encourage them to go for the gold, of course, but to also remember that each one of them is an ambassador of our country.
Athletes competing in their first Island Games should be aware that the Cayman Islands has a reputation for being one of – if not the – most popular team at these Games.
That popularity was not gained in previous years just because we won medals and banged drums in the stands.
It was earned by athletes who competed with class and afterward showed the warmth and charm that is the best of our people.
Related Videos
