GUERNSEY women’s basketball coach Pat Ogier is not a happy man.

Emma Pattimore in possession for Guernsey during their meeting with eventual gold medallists Menorca at the Rhodes Games two years ago. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0457613)

At the 2007 Island Games in Rhodes, there were nine teams battling it out on ‘the pine’ for medals, but in Aland there will be only five.

‘Hugely disappointing,’ he said.

‘We were hoping for a really great competition, which is part of the reason why the women decided they still wanted to go.

‘The response I received from other people involved in the Island Games basketball committee was that cost was the deciding factor, an issue that seems to keep raising its head.’

It is understood that Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Gotland and Prince Edward Island all pulled out just before the end ohoursf May deadline citing costs.

In Rhodes two years ago, the Greens lost to Bermuda 59-53 in the bronze medal play-off.

‘It would have been nice to have got revenge over those guys and to see how we’ve improved in comparison to them,’ said Ogier.

‘The one silver lining is that Menorca are still in the competition. It’s going to be good to play against them again.’

In their first Island Games, the Menorcans showed a lot of talent as they came away with the gold medal when they beat Prince Edward Island 62-58 in the final.

They also took care of the Sarnians 76-53 in the semi-finals.

Ogier’s side will face them again in this year’s Games along with Gibraltar, Isle of Man and the hosts Aland.

‘We’ve played Isle of Man and Gibraltar before,’ said Ogier.

‘We beat Gibraltar in the 2003 final. We don’t really know much about Aland.

‘Going on the basis that basketball isn’t an official sport there [they won’t be strong] but they’ve got players playing in Sweden. They are an unknown quantity.

‘Menorcan players play in the second and third Spanish divisions, which are strong competitions. They will be tough opponents.’

Guernsey have only four Island Games debutants in their squad – Kat Daunt, Nat Whitty, Donna Brehaut and Katie Cochrane.

‘These players have come in and have done well,’ said Ogier.

What has helped the squad has been their participation in the National League this winter.

After making their debut in Division Two Women Midlands/South West, Guernsey came fourth out of seven teams.

‘It has undoubtedly helped them,’ said Ogier.

‘They are now technically a lot better and a lot fitter. Playing 18 National League games against tough opponents each week has forced them to improve.

‘The nucleus of that squad are going to Aland and they’ve been playing together for a while now.’

After a round robin competition, the top four sides will go through to the semi-finals.

You get the sense speaking to Ogier that he feels his side have a very good chance of repeating their success of 2003, when the Games were held in the Bailiwick where they claimed gold.

‘I’m confident we’ll finish in the top four and go onto the semis,’ he said.

‘Depending on whoever we get, if we can avoid Menorca in the semis, we stand a good chance of getting through to the final. Then it’s about whoever plays the best basketball on the day.

‘We’ve trained really hard and the National League has helped with that. We’re just looking forward to getting out there and playing.’NatWest Island Games Aland 2009: Coach Ogier disappointed there’s not more competition

Guernsey women’s basketball squad:

Liz Kerr (capt.), Emma Pattimore, Tracy Martel, Donna Brehaut, Lenka Mascherucci, Kat Daunt, Kerri Brown, Emma Hicks, Amy Wright, Nat Whitty, Katie Cochrane, Gemma Loveridge.
Coach: Pat Ogier.
Assistant coach: Jamie Roussel.

Fixtures:
Sunday 28 June, 2.30pm (EEST), v. Gibraltar.
Monday 29 June, 2.30pm, v. Menorca.
Tuesday 30 June, 10am, v. Isle of Man.
Thursday 2 July, 2.30pm, v. Aland.
Friday 3 July, semi finals.
Saturday 4 July, final and bronze medal match.

Medal hopes: With Liz Kerr, who will certainly be one of the top players in the competition, in the mix and with their experience in playing in the National League, Guernsey should have few problems making the final. But this is where they will most certainly meet the very strong Menorca.
They will probably have to do with silver.