Gavin Manders, who was recently honoured for his commitment to Davis Cup tennis, has been chosen as Bermuda’s flag-bearer at the 2023 NatWest Island Games in Guernsey.

Manders is Bermuda’s most successful medal-winner at the Games with 12 and has been chosen as captain of the team for this year’s event, which starts on July 8.

Manders has won two gold medals at the Games in the team event in 2005 and in the doubles in 2011. He won athlete of the year in the Bermuda Government sports awards in 2009, the only tennis player to pick up the honour.

He is the founder of Manders Tennis Management and Manders Tennis Movement and is one of the main driving forces for developing the next generation of Bermuda tennis.

The other recognised position at the Games is that of water carrier, with that role being performed by Bermuda’s youngest athletes, badminton players Somers Stevenson and Dezirae Darrell.

Darrell is 14 years old and a student at Somersfield Academy. She was born in Bermuda but moved to New Zealand when she was 3. She returned to Bermuda in 2018, and began playing badminton. Her older sister, Satya, is also part of the team.

“I am looking forward to being a part of the Island Games opening ceremony and I am so excited to play in the Games,” Darrell said.

Stevenson has been a keen athlete, starting in gymnastics before moving on to triathlons. She swam with Harbour Swim Club from the age of 6 and played football before switching to squash and badminton.

She will be representing Bermuda in the under-15 girls at the CASA championships in St Vincent this summer after representing Bermuda at the Island Games.