Media Release - 3rd October 2005

The Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey is now able to make its first announcement of team members for the XVIIIth Commonwealth Games to be held in Melbourne next March. The Association expects to enter competitors from seven of its member sports and is pleased to be able to release the names of selected players and officials from the sports of Athletics, Lawn Bowls, and Triathlon. Those representing the sports of badminton, cycling, shooting and swimming will be announced at a later date.

The public of Jersey are reminded that for a competitor to be selected to represent Jersey at the next Games, he/she has been required to meet very rigorous qualifying standards which have been agreed and approved by both the local Commonwealth Games Association and the governing bodies for those sports in Jersey.

Team members selected in this initial stage include:-

Athletics: Discus and Javelin thower, Lauren Therin and High Jumper, Simon Phelan.

with Andrew Winnie as the Athletic's Team Manager

Lawn Bowls:

Ladies: Karina Bisson, Sue Dingle, Gaynor Thomas, Gina Le Long,

Gean O'Neil, Chris Grimes and Manager/Reserve Sheila McGinnigle

Men: Allan Quemard, Angus McKinnon, Derek Boswell, Lee Nixon, John

Lowery, Alan Shaw, and Manager/Reserve Peter Le Long

Triathlon: Paul Clements, Tim Rogers and Scott Pitcher

with Gary Jones as Triathlon Team Manager.

At its Council Meeting last Thursday, the Association's Secretary, Alan Cross was delighted to announce that the Jersey Team participating in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games now had a main sponsor. An agreement had just been finalised with Marks and Spencer, Jersey for sponsorship of the Team with a further option of a four year sponsorship of the Association in the period after the Melbourne Games and leading up to the 2010 Games in New Delhi, India. This sponsorship deal together with other smaller donations from a charitable trust company, the Royal Bank of Canada and the States of Jersey Education, Sport and Culture Committee mean that most of the financial aspects of preparing and participating in the next Games have now been resolved and that the Association's Officers are now able to concentrate on the detailed preparation of the Team which will include for the first time, at least two Team Building sessions prior to the Team's departure to Melbourne on the 3 rd March 2005.