The Guernsey team, led by flag bearer Alan Rowe, at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0289555)

GUERNSEY’S Commonwealth Games team for Delhi in 2010 could be the best prepared to leave these shores for the four-yearly event.

A major funding injection from the Indian organisers certainly suggests it will be and dozens of potential local athletes stand to benefit from subsidised pre-event acclimatisation and training camps.

Peter Sirett, chairman of the Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association, said everything will be done possible to ensure the island has the team it deserves in Delhi in less than two years’ time.

‘Hopefully, it will be the best prepared. We’ve put more effort into ensuring the right people get selected.’

That means for the first time the Guernsey team has not been chosen by a selection committee as such and the GCGA hope it marks the end to the usual selection controversies.

‘The executive of each participating sport have prepared selection criteria and this has been analysed and accepted by the Validation Committee under its chairman, Mike Webber,’ said Sirett.