Personalities

The word of the president of the COL

Guadeloupe is currently preparing to welcome the participants of the Island Games.  More than 20 countries of the islands of the European Community are represented including Corsica, Sicily, the Azores, Corfu, Sardinia, Crete, and the Canary Islands just to name a few.

Welcome to the delegations of all of the countries who honour us with their presence.

Welcome to the athletes, their trainers and those who accompany them.  We hope that aside from the sports competitions, which will no doubt be of a high level,  you will enjoy your stay here in Guadeloupe.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Regional Council for their financial and logistical assistance to CROJI 2008 (Regional Committee for the Organization of the Island Games 2008).  Without them, this event could not have taken place.

Thank you to the CNDS, the volunteers, the sports leagues, the DDJS and to COJI and its president, Mr. Pierre Santoni, who trusted us in this endeavour.

On behalf of the organizers I wish you all a warm welcome, including the media and the invited countries from the West Indies.

We hope that these games will allow these young people to better appreciate, know and like each other in spite of their differences in languages and culture.

Let fair play and the respect of rules reign the day in order that these games bring us not only pleasure but also the joy of being together.

May the best man win.

Claude THIBAULT
President of CROJI 2008

The word of the president of the Regional Council

Guadeloupe is ready to welcome you for the "island games" 2008 !

It is with honour and pride that Guadeloupe will host the 2008 "Island Games". Thousands of young athletes from 20 islands in the European Union will be coming to our beautiful archipelago to compete with our local athletes. Also, this year we have chosen to ewpand the event to include participants form our neighbouring Caribbean islands.

After the island of beauty in 2007, you will be coming to the most famous butterfly in the Caribbean which is also known worldwide as a land of sport and a creator of champions.

The organisation for international sporting events is one of principal components of the sporting initiative which was initiated by the Regional Council. Therefore the "Island Games" will be the occasion for our young athletes to test themselves in front of an audience and among them there are sure to be the champions of tomorrow.

The region Guadeloupe will be at the heart of the organisation of the games and it will unite the energy of all the members of the sporting world in Guadeloupe in order to provide all the young athletes with an ideal setting for the games.

Guadeloupe is waiting for you !

Here's to a successful "Island Games" 2008 !

Victorin LUREL
President of the Regional Council

The word of the president of the General Counsel

Let the Islands play their games !

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate President SANTONI who imagined one day in 1989 the organization of these Island Games, and to thank CROJI for having chosen Guadeloupe for the 12th edition.

The seas and the oceans have isolated our countries which makes it necessary for our people to have a surplus of imagination and dynamism in order to break our geographical isolation.

The opportunity to attend events which permit us to meet new people and open ourselves up to them is therefore unestimable. It is in this type of communion – which is at the same time a sports competition – where we are the most motivated to discover each other and compare our pratices, techniques and performances.

Sports are a part of a universal choreography in which esthetics are linked to performance which succeeds in erasing the effort put in to succeed.
To lift oneself up in the face of adversity is the inevitable lot of isolated populations. There is therefore nothing more normal than the youth of our islands to engage in such a competition.

The Departmental Assembly takes some satisfaction in the fact that the complexes and sports equipment that it helped put into place will give these young people the chance to demonstrate their prowess and give us a good show !

Welcome and long live the Island Games.

Jacques GILLOT
The Président of the General Counsel
Senator of Guadeloupe

Word of DDJS

Guadeloupe has the immense pleasure and honour of welcoming the 12th Island Games which will be held for the first time in the French West Indies.

This competition is an occasion for many thousands of young athletes from both mediterranean and caribbean islands to meet each other in the spirit of fair play. Often isolated due to geography, these young people will now confront each other in the attempt – we hope – to become the champions of tomorrow.

I also hope that these games will be a festive event for all of Guadeloupe. We can all support our young athletes and at the same time promote culture and local tourism with our visitors and the media.

I wish to reiterate my support to the organization committee and its president Mr. Thibault, as well as to the volunteers who made these games a success. In addition, thanks to the departmental administration for youth and sports for their financial and human resource assistance.

Beyond this week of competition, these games are a springboard for all sports in Guadeloupe thanks to the putting into place of various league projects and the repair and construction of numerous sports arenas and equipment. It is therefore a long-term investment for the development of sports on our island.

In conclusion, good luck to all of the participants even though I particularly encourage the young guadeloupians to reach the podium after their excellent fourth place finish obtained during the last Island Games.

Welcome to all of the delegations.

DDJS