Island Games: Guernsey Basketball May Pull Out
Guernsey’s basketball squad could pull out of this summer’s Island Games unless more teams compete, the BBC reports. The 2013 Island Games will be held in Bermuda on 13th July – 19th July 2013.
“Only four men’s teams and three women’s teams have agreed to take part in the event in Bermuda due to the cost of sending teams to the Atlantic island,” said the report. “Guernsey will decide on Friday whether to confirm charter flights to the event in July for their 30-strong squad.”
“Bermuda have been let down by other islands,” Guernsey Games chief Dave Inglis told BBC Guernsey. “It takes in 30 competitors and had a big bearing on transportation and hotel accommodation.”
Basketball teams such as Rhodes, Menorca, Gibraltar, Jersey, have all pulled out, and only Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Saaremaa have so far committed to playing this summer.
The 2013 Island Games has seen a steady trickle of European-based teams withdraw some of their athletes citing the expense; with various teams announcing they will not compete in Bermuda due to the expense of getting here.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Bermuda has won the previous two Gold medals…beating both Menorca and Rhodes! #SoreLosers
It wasn’t a free ride for Bermuda nor Cayman to travel across the Atlantic to support the Games held in those Islands! They should be ashamed!
Absolutely do not blame them – the cost of flying across the Atlantic is outrageous. It is the main reason we have so few European tourists. They all go to the Caribbean for 1/2 the price. Bring on the competition for BA.