Matt Lihou recalls an epic day that ended in gold for Guernsey’s badminton team in the Isle of Wight.

PICKING a highlight from a year and indeed a glorious Island Games week that yielded 40 gold medals may seem tough, but for me one success stood out above all others back in June.

It was only the second day of my first Games as a GP reporter on the Isle of Wight and temperatures were hitting 31C, but it was the red-hot indoors at the badminton where the real drama was taking place.

Ryde School is not necessarily the place that springs to mind with creating sporting history, but on Monday 27 June, the Sarnian team made their mark on local sport in stunning fashion.

That the winning shot for the most unlikely team gold medal imaginable was moments before midnight was testament to a gruelling day that had begun some 12 hours earlier.