Closing Ceremony - Chairman's Speech
Mon, 06 Jul 2015
The NatWest Island Games XVI in Jersey 2015 were officially closed on Friday 3rd July by IIGA Chairman Jorgen Pettersson. He was accompanied by the games mascot – Indigo, the popular gorilla in presenting his closing speech:
Dear islanders, dear Jersey, dear friends, dear Indigo,
Six days from today you were standing here as islanders carrying your flags. Today you stand within your sport and you are surrounded by old and new friends. You have defeated some of them and you have lost against others. That’s what make you friends. Thats how sport works. Your weakest competitor is your best friend because he or she will make you stronger. Thanks to the competition you will grow. Please take this last opportunity today and say hi to someone you never talked with before. That will make both of you stronger and in due time friends. Don’t worry, if you don’t know what to say, ask them what they think about everybodys friend – Indigo our games gorilla!
The NatWest Island Games in Jersey has reach the end and we are grateful for the time we have all spent together. You have competed, you have laughed, you have cried, you have suffered and you have cheered. You have lived together and you have grown together. You have had challenges and you have been sad because you are sportspeople that want to achieve more. You do not settle for the ordinary, you want to shine and we all shine together.
Congratulations to you all for your achievements in this spectacular week of sport. We have seen 900 events take place on this wonderful island of Jersey during six intense days. We have experienced great hospitality and we have seen a few of the hottest Jersey days ever, which most likely is a result of the NatWest Island Games. Even the sun wanted a time to shine!
On behalf of the International Island Games Association I express our thanks to the whole island of Jersey and its people for your generosity. We thank you for organising the NatWest Island Games 2015 and bringing us all together. We thank you for letting us all shine. We did this together. We grow together, we laugh together and we cry together, because we came as islanders but we leave as friends! Goodbye Jersey and Indigo, see you again soon!
In the name of the International Island Games Association, I declare the NatWest Island Games XVI in Jersey 2015 closed. I call upon the sportsmen and sportswomen of the Member Island associations to assemble in two years time in Gotland to celebrate the NatWest Island Games XVII so that the spirit of true sportsmanship may be continued with courage and honour to all who participate.
Jorgen Pettersson, Chairman International Island Games Association
