A formulation letter will be presented at the Island Games Association’s annual general meeting in Rhodes next week with the vote to take place at the IGA’s agm in Aland in July 2008.
And competitors in Rhodes beware, this year’s PEI team, the biggest to date with 61 competitors, have strong candidates in their team to win medals in triathlon, swimming and track and field.
Ruth Quility, secretary of the PEI’s Island Games Association, said: ‘We are very excited about putting our bid forward, we have the support of our government and association president Alfred Groom has put a very strong team together.
‘The president has been instrumental, he has put in a lot of hours for our cause.
‘I’m really looking forward to visiting Rhodes too, it’s been my dream since I went to Guernsey.
‘I think we will medal too, we have excellent medal chances in athletics, triathlon and swimming.
‘Our top prospects are Josh Ballem in the 50m butterfly, Stanley Chaisson in the 10,000m and Tyler Read in the triathlon.
Tyler is 21 and he finished fourth in his age group in the recent New York triathlon so we are very hopeful.’ Asked what facilities or infrastructure would have to be put in place to enhance the PEI’s efforts to host the Games, Quility said: ‘Nothing.
We hold the Canada Games every four years, both the winter and summer events and the next summer event is in 2009.
‘We hold world-wide events all the time, we have had a golf championship play-off between Greenjackets Mike Wear and VJ Singh.
‘We have 35 golf courses and a couple more are planned.
Three years ago a new 25m competition swimming pool was built while we currently have three turf football pitches.
‘Our swimming team for Rhodes is strong and our ladies football and basketball teams who looking forward to their competitions.
‘We’ve had excellent support from our government this time, they have supported with around £700,000.’ Two PEI government officials will attend a Games for the first time next week, the Honourable Carol Bertram, the minister of community and cultural affairs and deputy minister Ron MacMillan.
As reported yesterday Jersey may bid for the 2015 Games.
