Manx Telecom has announced that it is backing Team Isle of Man at this summer’s Island Games. The national squad will be the biggest ever to represent the Island at the Games when they compete in Jersey. A total of 218 competitors and 47 officials will fly the Manx flag in 14 sports at the 16th NatWest Island Games from June 27 to July 3. The Team Isle of Man squad was announced last week and some of the competitors and officials gathered at the NSC to reveal the name of their sponsor.

This latest news adds to an impressive list of sports teams and events which are backed by the Island’s leading telecoms company. Manx Telecom is the title sponsor for the Parish Walk, End2End Mountain Bike Challenge, and the Tough Mann Adventure Challenge. The company also sponsors the Manx Road Club cycling team (which competes as Team Manx Telecom). In the build up to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games the company was also one of Team Isle of Man’s ‘Champions’ who sponsored the national squad.

Jill Gillings, General Team Manager of the Island Games team, said:

“We’re extremely grateful for the support from Manx Telecom. It’s great to be sponsored by a local company that appreciates the important role which sport plays here. For many of our team the Games will be the pinnacle of their sporting lives, and for a few it may even be a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.”

The Isle of Man hosted the first Island Games in 1985 when the event was known as the Inter Island Games. Back then there were just 15 teams competing in seven sports, but the event has grown steadily over the years to become a prestigious event on the sporting calendar for all of the teams taking part. The Isle of Man topped the medals table at the last Island Games which were held in Bermuda in 2013. Our national team won 97 medals in total – 36 gold, 36 silver and 25 bronze.

David Smith, Manx Telecom Marketing Director, commented:

“The Island Games is an excellent event, and one in which the Isle of Man has a proud history both as host of the inaugural Games and as one of the strongest teams over the years. We’re providing the squad with a great roaming package to help them keep in touch with friends and family who can’t make it to Jersey. Given the strength of the team, that will mean lots of calls, texts and social media updates about all the medals that Team Isle of Man have won! MTTV, the Island’s premier online on-demand news service, will be covering the Games from start to finish with reporter and presenter Paul Moulton in Jersey to bring viewers up to the minute news, interviews and medal updates. There’s massive interest in the Island Games here, and MTTV’s coverage will be almost as good as being there watching the action live.”

For information about the Jersey Island Games go to www.jersey2015.com  – for information about the Isle of Man team go to http://www.islandgames.net/member_profile_12364.html 

Photo - Some of the Isle of Man’s Island Games team at the NSC celebrating the sponsorship announcement with representatives from Manx Telecom. Front (left to right) are Manx Telecom Marketing Executive Marg McGee, and Team IOM competitors Emma Hodgson, Jess Carridge, Alison Cowin, Juan Kinley, Amber Carridge, Kazia Whittaker. Front row, far right, is Manx Telecom Marketing Communications Manager Voirrey Barron. Back row (left to right) are Team IOM competitors Alice Bell, Josh Hewitt, Alan Corlett, Elena Snidal, Alex Bregazzi, Laura Kinley, Jospeh Riccardi, Guy Davies, Billy Lightfoot, Mark Copparelli, Hannah Snidal, Gemma Kirkham, Fiona Guest, Becky Dunne, Helen Culen, Lynsey Elliott, Rachael Franklin, Sarah Webster, and Amber Sibbald.