Well, they delivered that package in a unique style – and although the parcel was dropped once or twice, there was no major damage done.
There certainly were inconveniencies, but when the dust of competition settles, far more good points than bad will survive in the memory.
And many will be extraordinarily good.
A few short hours after the Helios Games closed, Lee Miniadis and her team can reflect on having given the Games family of 24 other islands a realistic and well-received taste of their culture – a culture that differs greatly from that of the majority.
I for one rate their efforts, in delivering the biggest Island Games ever, most highly.
As pointed out by the retiring chairman of the IGA, the Rev Brian Partington, part of the brief of the movement is to bring people closer together, not just for competition, but for greater understanding.
Well, after ten days or more together under the scorching Mediterranean sun, there most certainly is greater understanding.
The islanders are proud of their hospitality, and rightly so.
Certainly fears harboured by many among the football fraternity, after the unsavoury incidents in Guernsey 2003, have proved totally unfounded.
The Guernsey football team missed out on a great experience.
It’s an island’s people who make the Games, and the people of Rhodes’ welcome was as warm as their weather was scorching.
There’s no doubt that much of the negative publicity early in the week was accurately reported, but many of the Rhodes’ organisers were hurt and surprised by the sheer volume of it.
Unfortunately, all the ingredients for such reporting were thrown into the mixer at the same time.
Simply pour in coachloads of media, the majority from northern Europe, with no competition to report on for four or five days, bring them to the boil – literally – with the occasional stirring for news by editors back home, then let them see an unfinished venue or two …
Yet all the venues, to my knowledge, were ready for competition, if not quite an inspection by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, with the exception of the clay target ranges and one of the tennis courts.
And both those sports were delivered.
Most certainly lessons will be learned – the most obvious being that an island new to hosting a Games needs far more practical help from the IGA and, crucially, the sports themselves.
The organisational problems suffered by the cyclists and, to a far lesser extent, the athletes are obvious examples, though it is difficult to plan for the complete withdrawal of your top officials to another national event, as was the case in the latter.
But I reiterate: the Games are nothing if they are not about people, and our young sportsmen and women have had a taste of a different culture that will be as beneficial to them as any competition they have encountered over the past week.
Thank you, Rhodes.
And bring on Åland for another learning experience in 2009.
