Media Release - 16th June 2005

With only 271 days to go before the Jersey Team parade into the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Opening Ceremony of the XVIII Commonwealth Games, the local Association's Officers are becoming a little anxious that they have still not attracted a local company as a major sponsor.

The Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey expects to be sending its biggest team ever to the Games next March and with the high expense of travelling to the other side of the World, the Association's Secretary, Alan Cross (contact tel. 742254) invites all local businesses to consider the possibility of supporting Jersey's elite sportsmen and women for this chance of a lifetime for the team members to realise their sporting dreams. Companies interested should contact the Secretary as soon as possible regardless of the level of commitment that can be made.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, the international governing body for the Games, has recently provided a further relaxation to its ‘athlete eligibility' ruling regarding dispensation for those local ‘athletes' that were neither born in Jersey nor had a parent born in Jersey. The five year period of residency for such competitors has now been waived and, provided they have a British passport, they simply need to submit a letter from their national/international governing body for their sport confirming that they are genuine, committed Jersey competitors. This letter, with a supporting letter from the local Games Association should secure their eligibility to compete in Melbourne next year.