Inaugurated in 1993, the award is designed to honour the qualities of sportsmanship embodied and promoted by one of the great figures of Channel Islands journalism, the late Bill Custard.
He was the paper’s ‘Corinthian’ and rated sportsmanship, determination, dedication and bravery as highly as he did displays of skill and success.
He would undoubtedly have approved of the way the Games bring together so many island communities every two years to compete in a wide range of sports in a spirit of friendship.
Those in the Jersey team who caught the eye over the week in Shetland include: Morag Obarska: Rarely is a team award discussed without Morag having been nominated.
Her support as number one fan and physio to around 140 sportsmen and women was as solid as ever for these Games – and she even had the energy to carry the Jersey flag this time.
Many will freely admit they owe medal success to Morag.
Bob Blake: Another stalwart behind the scenes, with his work in transporting the team’s equipment to and from Games being a vital component in Jersey’s continued success in the Island Games.
But when not serving on the IGAJ committee, he also competes and rarely returns without a shooting medal, something he did again in Shetland.
Paul Dingle: One of Jersey’s most promising all-round sportsmen, 16-year-old Paul has endured some terrible set-backs through injury, but still managed to pull out a truly exceptional effort in the triple jump to earn silver – his leap of 13.89 metres improving his previous best by nearly half a metre.
A bright future lies ahead for this outstanding prospect.
Ronnie Jubb: Her determination to compete, and win, in Shetland can hardly be doubted after she banished heart worries to inspire the squash team to gold and also gain the individual title with her classy performances.
Eugene Ellis: A veteran who first competed in the Games as a triathlete in 1993, he has since sought gold as a famously combative and focussed table tennis player.
He achieved this in his seventh Games, partnering the young Island champion Paul Marshall, to the men’s doubles title in Sandwick, Shetland.
Renowned for the effort he puts into his game.
Michael Hopkins: A former professional squash player, knee injuries have limited his playing time over the past few years.
But his spirit remains undiminished and his recovery from two sets down in the semi-final against the tournament favourite, to reach the men’s final, was one of the highlights of the Games.
Past winners have been swimmer Rebecca Brewer (1993), cyclist Jason Luce (1995), runner Richard Howard (1997), badminton’s Ian Coombs-Goodfellow (1999), sprint hurdler Peter Irving (2001) and swimmer Katherine Gamlin (2003).
The award will be presented tomorrow evening at a vin d’honneur for Jersey’s Island Games team, hosted by Education, Sport and Culture, on the western ramparts of Fort Regent a 6 o’clock.
