Stamps celebrating the NatWest International Island Games XIX, to be held in Guernsey from 8-14 July, are to be released by Guernsey Post’s philatelic bureau.
Guernsey, which is the only island to host the event for a third time, will release a set of seven stamps depicting the 14 different sports that will compete in what is also known as ‘The Friendly Games’.
The Games first began in 1985 when the Isle of Man brought together athletes from 15 small islands around the world for a sporting festival called the ‘Inter-Island Games’. It has since grown to include 24 member islands.
The stamps
Gsy stamp: The Island Games' football tournament is one of the most well-established tournaments of non-FIFA international football and features alongside tennis, which should prove to be some great spectator games.
UK stamps: Fans of the triathlon can enjoy a new event this year: the triathlon relay will race through along the St Peter Port town centreseafront. Indoor Bowls is also on the stamp, returning to the Games after an 18-year break.
Another UK stamp depicts golf and sailing. Guernsey was top of the medal table in the sailing at the last Games and the team will be looking to retain their spot at the top in July.
EUR stamps: Badminton and athletics are shown on the first of two stamps, with Guernsey winning seven medals for Badminton at the last Games. Athletics medal hopefuls will hope to follow in the footsteps of Guernsey’s Dale Garland who raced at the Games and went on to win gold and silver medals for Great Britain.
The other EUR stamp depicts basketball and shooting. Guernsey women’s basketball team will aim to reach the heights of the 2003 Games when they won the gold medal on home soil.
ROW stamps: Some of the world’s top sportsmen and women began their careers at the Games including Olympic cyclist and Tour de France champion, Mark Cavendish, from the Isle of Man. Guernsey’s table tennis team, depicted alongside cycling, will be looking for medal success again after taking home six medals in 2019.
The second ROW stamp depicts archery alongside swimming, with Guernsey’s team comprising 13 seasoned Games’ swimmers and eight new caps making their debut.
The Miniature Sheet features Jet the Puffin, the Guernsey Island Games 2023 mascot. Every spring, puffins flock back to the sanctuary of the little rocky islands of Jethou, Burhou and Herm in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, to breed. The puffin was chosen as the mascot for the Games to reflect the core values of the Games: friendship and family. ‘Jet’, short for Jethou, was the name chosen by local primary schoolchildren.
Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, said: - “The Games are a significant event in Guernsey’s sporting calendar, which will see the island welcome around 3,500 athletes, coaches and officials, so we are particularly excited to release our stamps as Guernsey hosts the event for a third time.”