THE closing ceremony has been held and the medal table has been finalised, but the Aland NatWest Island Games will live on for a very long time in the memories of all those who took part.

This year’s event, which once again thoroughly deserved its secondary designation as ‘the friendly games’, will also be remembered by those who followed the progress of the Jersey team either as travelling supporters or as distant spectators here at home.

It is true that the Island’s sportsmen and women were not top of the table this time, though their third position, with a total of 72 medals, 23 of them gold, represents a very fine achievement indeed. It reflects the dedication of athletes in pursuits ranging from football to track and field and from archery to sailing who put in so much hard work to achieve their personal and team goals.

Jersey’s success also rests on the magnificent efforts of those who coach, train and encourage our sporting stars and those who work as backroom boys and girls in Island Games planning, organisation and administration. We must not forget that ensuring that our team actually made it to an archipelago in the Baltic was, in itself, an achievement, or that precious funding from NatWest is vital to the continued success of the games.

Meanwhile, anyone inclined to dwell on the final results for any length of time might consider this: it is undoubtedly best for the Island Games family if one team does not achieve and maintain a dominant position. The games are to an extent about best performances and the winner’s podium, but this must never be at the expense of the friendship and sense of fair play that must be at their heart.

We, of course, have our sights set on hosting another Island Games. Should we be granted that privilege, we shall be hoping to excel in terms of facilities, spectacle and organisational detail. Our existing record in these fields will be hard to beat, but so will the standard set by Aland. As well as running an exceptionally smooth operation, our friends in the north offered all their guests the warmest of welcomes and helped to ensure that the values of sportsmanship and fellowship were dominant throughout an outstanding week of intense competition.