By Eamonn Keyes
Over the next weeks the Orkney News will be taking a closer look at the competitor which has travelled furthest to attend the Island Games- The Falkland Islands- which are over 8,200 miles (13,200 km) away from Orkney.
Orkney 2025
The Orkney 2025 International Island Games will take place from 12-18 July 2025. Orkney has the privilege of hosting this 20th Island Games in the 40th year since they began, and the week-long event will see athletes from up to 24 island groups from across the world compete in a programme which consists of 12 sports categories including Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Bowls, Cycling, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Sailing, Squash, Swimming, and the Triathlon.
The Island Games began in 1985, when, as part of their Year of Sport, the Isle of Man set in motion an exciting and ambitious plan to bring together athletes from small islands across the world to take part in a new sporting festival — the ‘Inter-Island Games’. 700 sportsmen and -women from 15 islands landed on Manx soil for what the UK national press dubbed the ‘Small Islands Mini Olympics’. Competitors hailed from the Faroe Islands and Scandinavia in the northern hemisphere, the British Isles, the Mediterranean and as far afield as St Helena in the South Atlantic—a 5,000-mile trip. After a week of events in eight different sports the festival was deemed such a success it was agreed to continue it every other year. The right to host an International Island Games is awarded by member countries of the International Island Games Association (IIGA) at its General Assembly, and the Games are held every two years.
The member island groups include Åland (Finland), Alderney, Bermuda, Cayman islands, Falkland Islands, Faeroe Islands, Frøya (Norway), Gibraltar, Gotland (Sweden), Gozo, Greenland, Guernsey, Hitra (Norway), Isle of Man, Isle Of Wight, Jersey, Menorca, Orkney, Saaremaa (Estonia), Sark, Shetland Islands, St. Helena, Western Isles and Ynys Mon (Anglesey, Wales).
The Princess Royal will attend the Opening Ceremony which will take place at Kirkwall’s Bignold Park on July 12 to officially open the Games. Kirsty Talbot, Director of Orkney 2025, said, “We are incredibly honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to Orkney to open the 20th International Island Games. With just over a month to go until we welcome the world, anticipation is ramping up as local businesses, tourism, and community groups are preparing to showcase the vibrant spirit and culture of Orkney. We are on the brink of a truly unforgettable event that will celebrate Orkney’s rich heritage, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality which will make this a memorable event for everyone involved, and we are looking forward to extending our famous Orcadian welcome to Princess Anne.”
Lorraine Kelly is a regular visitor to Orkney and was delighted to feature as an Ambassador for the Orkney 2025 International Island Games. Over 2,000 competitors and officials are expected to attend the biggest event Orkney has ever hosted. The Games are supported by principal funders the Scottish Government, sportscotland and Orkney Islands Council, but many local sponsors and partners have helped to make the games a reality with contributions and expertise. Nirvana Europe is the Official Travel & Accommodation Partners.
The Games will kick off with a spectacular Opening Ceremony and Athletes’ Parade in Kirkwall on Saturday 12 July at 1700 and will be hosted by Lorraine Kelly and Orkney’s own Stewart Bain. The Opening Ceremony and all sporting events are open to all to attend and admission is free. Some of the highlights throughout the week include the Triathlon in Stromness, cycling road races through West Mainland and the Half Marathon in Kirkwall. The Island Games could not take place without the efforts of the Orkney community, and over 900 volunteers have stepped forward to take on vital roles, from stewarding the events to supporting the athletes and spectators.
Ola The Orca is the official mascot of the Games, and was created by Sarah Sutcliffe, a student at Kirkwall Grammar School, and Ola was chosen from a total of 880 entries.
All Island communities participating understand the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle, providing a focus for young people, and strengthening an island’s cultural identity. The Orkney 2025 Mission Statement highlights that this is more than just a sporting event and will have a significant impact on physical activity and sport in Orkney as it aims to:
- Provide a competitive sporting programme in excellent facilities
- Create a meaningful legacy for local sport and communities
- Involve communities and businesses as much as possible
- Celebrate the best of Orkney: place, produce, and people
- Make the 2025 Games as environmentally friendly as possible
Over the next weeks the Orkney News will be taking a closer look at the competitor which has travelled furthest to attend the Games- The Falkland Islands- which are over 8,200 miles (13,200 km) away from Orkney.
In a series of articles we will be looking at the history, wildlife and everyday life in the Falkland Islands and showing the comparisons and differences between the two archipelagos, with Orkney being 2,143 miles (3,449 km) from the North Pole and the Falkland Islands being 2,643 miles (4,254 km) from the South Pole in broadly similar locations at opposite ends of the Atlantic Ocean.
