Castel win another Youth Games but as Gareth Le Prevost discovered it is the concept that is the real winner

GUERNSEY was a riot of colour on Saturday as many of the island’s venues played host to the Specsavers Youth Games.

More than 450 children competed in 12 sports for their electoral voting districts and they, together with 200 volunteers, made the second biennial event a huge success.

The light blues of Castel retained the trophy as overall winners while Vale, decked out in yellow, picked up the fair play award, but as Guernsey Sports Commission development manager Graham Chester emphasised, it was the taking part that counted.

‘The aim was to provide children with an opportunity to do a sport which they would not normally have the chance to do,’ he said.

‘What those within Guernsey sport and the Sports Commission are seeking to achieve is to provide for people to play a sport at whatever level they aspire to.

‘While the Games were my idea many years ago, one person has really taken the bull by the horns and driven it forward and that’s Kathy Stuart [the island's sports development officer].’

Any child in Years 5 and 6 was eligible to take part and those who signed up certainly made it the festival of fun that it was meant to be.

But, despite having only six weeks of training in their new sport, many also proved themselves to be quite adept at the activities on offer.

‘Having got to the level that they have done over such a short space of time is a credit to them and their coaches,’ said Chester.

‘This would never have happened without all the volunteers and the coaches and they have been fantastic.’

Many individual sports reported how delighted they were with the talent and application shown by the children.Cricket development officer Jason Shambrook and assistant Jonny Orme oversaw six teams of either five or six players on the all-weather pitch at Memorial Field, with three matches being held at the same time to rules similar to indoor cricket.

‘They are all new to the game and we have got a few good players here,’ Shambrook said.

‘All the players here today have been invited to continue playing cricket at our Monday evening sessions.

‘The timing of these Games is good for cricket because it leads into our season so there is a progression.’

Youngster Marco Petralia was one of those who shone on the day and was third in the individual scoring table, made up by points being awarded for runs, wickets, catches and run outs effected.

‘I am really enjoying it.

‘It’s fun,’ he enthused after his first game.

Other sports wich have come to the end of their season will ensure there are sessions for the newcomers so that they can continue with them.

Badminton development officer Paul Le Tocq was another coach who was pleased with how quickly the children took to the game.

‘After three weeks of coaching, they are playing singles matches against each other, they are all serving correctly and hitting every shot in the book – forehands, backhands, overheads, the lot,’ he said.

‘There is some exceptional talent so hopefully we will keep some of them in the game. We will be looking to set something up for them over the summer because our season is over.’

Among the interested spectators throughout the day were the Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland and his wife Diana, who visited Beau Sejour, the Rohais Badminton Halls, the Guernsey Table Tennis Centre, the Longs Camp Tennis Centre and finally Foote’s Lane.

He described the concept of the Games as ‘brilliant’.

‘The youngster were tremendously enthusiastic,’ Mr Rowland said.

‘I would say this is the community coming together in a positive way.

‘Wherever we went, what impressed us was the number of adults who were putting in a terrific amount of effort investing in youngsters, which is a tremendous investment.’

At the memorable closing ceremony in which all the participating children paraded in front of a packed Garenne Stand at Foote’s Lane having been led around by a samba band, Chester also said a huge debt of gratitude was owed to the sponsors.

‘The way the Specsavers Optical Group have embraced the idea of the Games has been one of the main reasons behind their success.’

Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers, said that everyone who had taken part in the Games was a winner.

‘Sport is a great way of making friends, as well as keeping fit, and to come together as a community. I am very proud of all who have come together to represent your community,’ she said.