Media Release - 03rd September 2008

At a meeting of Council members of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey last night, representatives of the Association’s members sports expressed their disappointment that a local sponsor had not come forward to provide financial support for the 12 elite sportsmen and women selected to represent Jersey at the forthcoming Commonwealth Youth Games.

The 4 young swimmers, 4 tennis players and 4 athletes that have been selected to travel to Pune, near Mumbai, India on Tuesday 7th October 2008 have achieved, or come very close to achieving, rigorous qualifying standards agreed between the sports and elected members of the Association’s Validation Group. These standards are based on UK National ratings or performances at UK National events. The Association is confident that all 12 of the competitors are worthy of their place in the Team and that they will be excellent ambassadors for Jersey during their 11 day stay in India. The Youth Games is expected to involve 1300 competitors from all 71 Commonwealth territories around the World.

To date, the only financial help (i.e. £6000) has come from the States of Jersey Education, Sport and Culture Committee. Delegates at last night’s meeting were most surprised to hear the news from the Association’s Secretary General, Alan Cross, that despite repeated publicity of the event through the local media and many meetings with potential sponsors from local business houses, still nobody had offered to help off-set the costs of sending some of Jersey’s best young athletes to these Games. Hopefully, a local company will show interest and contact Alan Cross (tel. 742254) within the next few weeks.

A particular topic of interest at last night’s meeting was the choice of the Jersey victory anthem for future Commonwealth Games events. The representatives for the Association’s 15 member sports had been asked to come to the meeting with their sport’s decision on whether to continue with ’Ma Normandie’ as the victory anthem or to adopt the new Jersey anthem, ‘Island Home’. Members agreed that until the new anthem had been approved by the States of Jersey, then ‘Ma Normandie’ would continue to be used at all Commonwealth Games events. However a decision would be made on the preferred anthem once ‘Island Home’ had met with State’s approval.

Alan Cross
CGAJ Secretary General