Manders Named As Flag Bearer For Island Games
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Tennis player Gavin Manders will be Bermuda’s flag bearer at the NatWest International Island Games XIX opening ceremony in Guernsey, the Channel Islands, on July 8.
Manders is the most successful local athlete at the biennial event with 12 medals [Team: gold 2005, silver 2007, bronze 2013, 2017 and 2019; Singles: silver 2011, bronze 2017 and 2019; Doubles: gold 2011, silver 2017, 2019, and bronze 2013].
This week he was also presented with the International Tennis Federation Davis Cup Commitment Award at the Davis Cup in Asuncion, Paraguay, where the Bermuda team are competing in Americas group three.
Badminton players Dezirae Darrell and Somers Stevenson will be the water carriers at the opening ceremony, which includes the water ceremony, where a representative of each team pours water from their island into a fountain that will run throughout the Games week.
Darrell, 14, was born in Bermuda but moved to New Zealand when she was three before returning to the island in 2018. Her older sister Satya is also part of the Bermuda team.
“I’m looking forward to being part of the Island Games opening ceremony, and I’m so excited to play in the Games,” Darrell said.
Stevenson is a well-rounded athlete, having competed in football, gymnastics, swimming, squash and triathlon. She will represent Bermuda at the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association Championships in St Vincent this summer.
More than 2,000 athletes from 24 member islands will compete in 14 different sports across 25 venues at the Island Games.
Guernsey was due to host the Island Games in 2021 before being postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
