From The Royal Gazette By Stephen Wright

With just 60 days remaining before Bermuda host the 2013 NatWest Island Games, the 23 visiting nations are stepping up their preparations.

Bermuda will host the biennial competition for the first time at 15 different venues across the Island from July 13-19.

It will be the first time the Games have been held outside Europe.

Bermuda will field the largest team of around 300 athletes, with Guernsey, Faroe Islands, Cayman Islands and the Isle of Wight expected to send contingents of more than 100 competitors.

Last week saw Falklands announce their delegation, with more than 40 athletes set to descend on Bermuda ahead of the Opening Ceremony at the National Sports Centre on July 13.

Falklands’ athletics team consists of Bill Chater (800, 1,500 and 5,000 metres), Martin Collins (half-marathon and 100 metres), Rex Eagle (half-marathon), Hazel Fownes (100 and 200 metres) and Kate Stenning (400 and 800 metres).

The badminton team will be Michael Brownlee, Doug Clark, Joe Clarke, Anna Luxton, Cheryl March, Duane March, Anastasia Markina, Laura Minto, Ross Stewart and Louise Williams.

Managed by Ian Betts, the Falklands’ football team will be one of four Islands (Bermuda, Froya and Greenland) taking part in the tournament.

Falklands’ squad includes goalkeeper Ben Hoyles, defenders Kyle Biggs, Luke Clarke, Martyn Gilson-Clarke, Josh Clayton, Zaza Elbakidze, Joshua Peck and Scott Thain, midfielders Stephen Aldridge, Andres Balladares, Michael Betts, Daniel Biggs, Shupi Chipunza and Claudio Ross and strikers Wayne Clement and Rafa Sotomayor.

The four golfers competing for Falklands will be Declan Bonner, Glenn Ross, Roy Smith and Ian Stewart, while the shooting team consists of Michael Goss, Bono McKay, Murray Middleton, Nevin Middleton and Saul Pitaluga.

Aged from 13 to 16, Falklands’ swimming team is made up of Emily Barker, Daniel Clarke, Kirsty McLeod, Sophie Pompert Robertson, Sorrell Pompert Robertson and Nikita Whistler.

Jersey’s NatWest Island Games swimming coach Nathan Jegou believes the 2013 squad is the best the Island has selected in recent years.

The 16-strong team includes Commonwealth Games pair Ian Back and Simon Le Coilliard alongside youngsters Emily Bashforth and Ella Dias.

Jegou told Channelonline.tv: “In terms of the three games I’ve coached at this is probably our strongest all round team, they’ve worked hard this year and the times going into the Games are quicker than in previous years.

“In the boys we’ve got a lot of experience coming back in Ian Black and Simon Le Couilliard, and Matt Brehaut who last swam 20 years ago, in the girls it’s a good all round team.

“There’s not really a weak link like we’ve had in previous games in terms of age barriers and events.”

Guernsey’s Nat Whitty could be a medal contender at the Games after recently breaking the Island’s 1,500 metres women’s record.

Whitty became the fastest Guernsey woman ever over the metric mile, clocking four minutes and 29 seconds. She will be competing in the 400 and 800 metres in Bermuda.

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