COMMONWEALTH GAMES ASSOCIATION OF JERSEY - UNITED BY THE MOMENT

Welcome to the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey

This Association is committed to supporting the hopes and aspirations of Jersey's elite athletes in fulfilling their potential on the world stage of international sport. We aim to provide 21st Century back-up and technical advice to our sportspeople. In this aim, we are dependent on a healthy partnership with Local Government, the business sector and the public of Jersey at large. We recognize the vital importance of encouraging our young sportspeople in their development. To this end, we are determined to ensure the presence of a suitably qualified team at each Commonwealth Youth Games as well as the fullest participation at each 4 yearly Commonwealth Games.

Please enjoy the information that is provided on this website.

We urge all Islanders to participate in supporting our athletes in their search for excellence at this highest level of sporting competition.

Jersey to back Gold Coast City, Queensland for the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Delegates representing the 16 member sports of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey voted in favour of the bid from Gold Coast City, Queensland for the 21st version of the Commonwealth Games to take place between 5th and 15th April 2018. The Association’s President, Alan Cross, having just completed an inspection visit to both Gold Coast City and to the other candidate city, Hambantota, Sri Lanka, informed delegates of both the strengths and weaknesses of both bids and highlighted a comment in the summary of a report by the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Evaluation Commission which stated that members of the Commission considered Hambantota to be a ‘high risk’ Games and that Gold Coast City was a ‘low/medium’ risk Games. The sport of archery expressed their disappointment with Council’s decision as their sport is to be included in the Hambantota programme of sports whereas it has been replaced by the sport of triathlon in the Gold Coast City bid.

Alan Cross will cast Jersey’s vote on its preferred venue for the 2018 Games together with votes from the other 70 Commonwealth Nations and Territories at the Commonwealth Games Federations General Assembly which takes place in St. Kitts and Nevis on 10th/11th November 2011. He will be accompanied on this occasion by the Jersey Association’s recently appointed Secretary General, Derek Ferguson and they will also be involved in casting Jersey’s votes on candidates for positions on the Federation’s Executive Board. The most significant change involves the election of the Federation’s President. Mr Michael Fennell (Jamaica) will end his 17 year reign as President and make way for the unopposed election of the current Vice President, Malaysia’s Prince Tunku Imran.

Members at last night’s Council Meeting also elected the local Association’s key managerial positions for the next Games i.e. the 20th Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow from 23rd July to 3rd August 2014. Paul Huddlestone, who was the Chef de Mission for Team Jersey for both the Melbourne 2006 Games and last year’ Games in Delhi was elected unopposed as Chef de Mission for the Glasgow Games along with Paul Du Feu, who was elected unopposed for the position as General Team Manager. Both Pauls worked very well as a management team in Delhi and the local Association is delighted that they, together with the Association’s Officers, will be spearheading Team Jersey’s preparation for the Glasgow Games.

Further details from Alan Cross: Tel 742254 or alan.cross@cgaj.org

The Launch of the Jersey Commonwealth Games History Booklet

The Officers of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey are pleased to be able to announce the launch of a booklet which provides detailed information on all the Commonwealth Games since, and including, the VIth edition of the Games that was held in Cardiff in 1958. This was the first occasion that Jersey entered a team in, what was then known as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The official launch of the booklet will take place tomorrow at Fort Regent at 1.00 p.m.

Alan Cross, the Association’s Secretary General, has been researching for this booklet for the past year and has compiled a colourful and interesting chronicle of the past 14 Commonwealth Games bringing us right up to date with information on the Team Jersey’s participation in the 2010 Delhi Games. The booklet is prefaced by the Association’s patrons, His Excellency, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, General Andrew Ridgway and the Bailiff of Jersey, Mr. Michael Birt and it includes a collection of photographs from all Games and lists the names of all Jersey competitors.

It provides us with a wealth of information much of which could well have been lost in the course of time. For example, to date, 214 Jersey athletes have earned the right to compete for their Island at the past 14 Games through meeting Jersey’s stringent qualifying standards and, of these elite athletes, 60 have come from the each of the sports of lawn bowls and shooting. Stephen Le Couilliard, smallbore shooter holds the current record of having represented Jersey at the Games on six occasions and Karina Bisson and Allan Quemard, lawn bowlers have competed in four Games each.

The final pages of the booklet cover other aspects of the Games including the journey of the Queens Baton Relay around the 71 Commonwealth territories prior to the Opening Ceremony and the recent introduction of the Commonwealth Youth Games. The Jersey Association’s celebration of its 50th anniversary since its formation on 23rd October 1957 is also documented.

The cost of printing the booklet has been covered by both the Jersey Association and a number of local companies including the Association’s lead sponsor, the Sanne Group. Simon Young, Sanne’s Managing Director, attended the official launch of the booklet at Fort Regent on 23rd March and announced their decision to remain the lead sponsors for the Association for the four year build-up to the 2014 Glasgow Games.

Copies of the history booklet will be distributed to all Jersey schools, libraries, and sports associations and be placed later on the Association’s website www.cgaj.org . Former Games athletes and officials requiring a copy of the booklet are asked to send a stamped, self-addressed A4 envelope to Alan Cross at 8 Clos De Verger, St. Brelade JE3 8AJ.

Alan Cross Secretary General