Members of Team Jersey enjoying the closing ceremony last night (01254411)

AS Team Jersey, Guernsey and Sark wind down from their exertions on the boat back home this afternoon, the Channel Islanders can look back with considerable pride at their achievements in the Isle of Wight.

Guernsey topped the NatWest Island Games table by a distance and everyone here recognises their quality, particularly in the medal-rich disciplines of swimming, cycling and track and field.

They can rightly be proud of their improvements, which many put down to initiatives like their Rising Stars programme and Development Performance squad, which as their names suggest, aim to raise the standards of their brightest prospects. Both are funded, effectively, by Sarnian businesses and individuals.
Great rivals

Jersey, who have topped the table on five occasions, also have much to feel proud of and should not judge their nine-day campaign solely against the record of their great rivals, but they should, perhaps, take note of the improvement they have made.

As they did yesterday, Team Jersey also finished third in Aland two years ago, but reaped even more medals in total this time (although with the fewest number of golds for 20 years). So it can be argued that they are keeping pace as the standards demanded continue to rise, not only in terms of performance, but also preparation and support. Taking 200 or so competitors away and getting them in the right condition and frame of mind to perform to their best is always a logistical challenge but also, increasingly, a financial nightmare.

But the benefits of turning out a 250-strong team of ambassadors that promote the Island – by way of positive behaviour as much as performance – needs to be recognised not only by Islanders in general , but, more pertinently, by government and business.

Team Jersey is a hugely successful brand, but injecting resources once every two years won’t be enough to turn our silvers and bronzes into golds. Jersey’s stars need regular high levels of competition or they will never reach their true potential, so that means travel … and expense.

The Island’s sportsmen and women need regular backing to develop into potential champions and become the role models for future generations. So it’s worth shouting from the rooftops that, even in these tough financial times, they are providing great value for money. But without the backing from the Island in general it won’t, can’t, last forever.

Invest in them, right across the board. They won’t let you down.

• Full reports and pictures in Saturday’s Jersey Evening Post