THE Olympic dream has moved a step closer for some of Guernsey’s top athletes with new local company Sportingbet agreeing one of the largest sponsorship deals in Channel Islands sporting history. The Guernsey Press can exclusively reveal today that the company is providing up to £100,000 in funding over the next five years to support the development of Channel Island stars of the track and field.

The money will help sportsmen and women from both Guernsey and Jersey to compete at national level as members of the Sportingbet CI Athletics Club. And club officials have their eyes firmly set on at least one of their athletes wearing the Great Britain vest at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Sportingbet chief executive Andrew McIver said the company hoped to help make that dream a reality.

‘We were impressed by the club’s long-term vision and ambition to take the sport locally to another level and their clear plan to develop the great talent that there is in the islands to compete with the very best. The aim of our sponsorship is simply to help them achieve that goal,’ he said.

The Sportingbet CI Athletics Club comprises the Channel Islands top athletes.

Its 120-strong membership includes local runners Dale Garland and Lee Merrien, and Jersey javelin thrower Lauren Therin, all of whom have represented Great Britain at international level.

The club currently competes in the top division of the Southern men’s and women’s track and field leagues, following back-to-back promotions in recent seasons.

Its aim for next season is to be invited to take part in the British Athletics League, which would represent a further step up in competition. If successful, it would see a team of Channel Islands athletes regularly facing the UK’s top stars.

Club president and founder Andrew Winnie said the Sportingbet sponsorship would be an enormous boost towards achieving this.

‘Competing at national level is absolutely essential if our athletes are going to develop and progress, and hopefully follow in the footsteps of the likes of Dale and Lee.

‘That is why participation in the British Leagues is so important, because they have to be up against international sportsmen and women.

‘It may be a step up in class but if they can compete at that level there is no reason why some might not go on and get to the very top in the sport,’ he said.

‘The cost of competing regularly is also an enormous commitment for the athletes and we have been looking for a sponsor for a long time now to help shoulder some of the financial burden.’

Under the sponsorship deal, the club will receive £75,000 towards travel costs for competing athletes.

An additional £15,000 has been earmarked to provide training kit and other expenses, and Sportingbet is also providing a further £10,000 to assist Guernsey athletes who might otherwise be prevented from competing for financial reasons.

McIver said if any local athlete was good enough to make the grade then money should not be a barrier.

‘We want to make sure local athletes are recognised for their ability on the track or on the field rather than on whether they can afford to compete,’ he said.

World Championships competitor Dale Garland, who was disappointed he was unable to get over for yesterday’s official launch at Foote’s Lane, gave his full backing to the deal.

‘This year was a bit of a struggle financially [for the CI team] but with this financial backing it will be a lot better next year,’ he said.

He believed the CI team should be getting into the national league system in the next few years.