Bermuda Island Games Association members met with the Sports Organiser of the 2003 Games, Dudley Jehad, at the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce's AGM last week.

The 2003 Games will be held in Guernsey this July and Bermuda will be sending a substantial squad.

Jehad, a Guernsey businessman, spoke to the members of the Chamber with regard to the possibility of Bermuda hosting the Games in the future.

He explained that he himself was not a sportsman, but had seen how the Games had managed to captivate the islands, and to produce a sporting focus for athletes.

Jehad explained how long they had been preparing for the Games, the budget they were working with and the capital outlay from the Government that had been necessary to upgrade facilities and provide transportation among other things.

He made many comparisons between Bermuda and Guernsey and felt that the two islands had much to share with each other.

International finance is now Guernsey's main industry with tourism forced into second place. However, the influx of the Games with over 2,000 competitors will give tourism a much-needed boost.

Jehad's visit was jointly sponsored between the Bank of Bermuda and the Bank of Butterfield.