From King Charles III to the Kenyan netball team, some fruitful connections have taken place on behalf of Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, and Peter Dunne, president of the Bermuda Olympic Association, are supporting Bermuda’s team at the Games.

When they’re not cheering on the island’s athletes from the stands, both are networking on behalf of Bermuda with everyone from the King to organisations and associations from other competing nations and territories.

Murdoch says it has been a privilege to meet the island’s athletes and see them perform against some of the best in the world.

“It's a tough competition with really world-class athletes that they're mixing it up with and getting through to semi-finals and hopefully finals later on,” he said.

“I've never been a professional athlete or at this level, but you just know how much training's gone into the performances that they're putting in, and it's lovely they get a moment in the spotlight. It's inspiring.”

This is the first time he has attended a Commonwealth Games. He views his role as offering support for Bermuda’s team of 13 athletes but also for the island more widely. One such moment came when he met the King at the Games’ reception and opening ceremony. The King visited Bermuda in April, when he met some of the island’s athletes.

Murdoch said: “We managed to meet His Majesty, talk about his recent visit, explain the athletes taking part [here]. All these opportunities promote Bermuda.

“Athletes can do their work in the pool, on the track, at the velodrome, and obviously in the margin we can do our best to showcase Bermuda and remind others that we’ve got some really fine athletes participating. That’s where I can step in and help.”

Dunne has also been networking. He said that after watching the Kenyan netball team “we met the president of Kenyan netball and she's interested in getting connected to Bermuda”.

That, he said, is an example of the “wonderful things that happen, not just in the pool or on the track, but meeting up with other federations, sport federations, Olympic committees or Commonwealth sporting associations”.

Unlike some countries that have separate associations for the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the Bermuda Olympic Association performs a dual role.

“Our primary role is to support the athletes,” Dunne said. “The athlete preparation is done at the athlete/coach level. Our job is to make sure the things that the athletes need are in place, where we can influence that and deliver certain things for them. We want to make sure that happens in advance of and during competition.

“We provide a chef de mission. Donna [Raynor] is leading that and she does a fantastic job looking after the athletes. I’m living outside the team, but we’re having breakfast or meals or sitting on buses or in the stands with people that we know well from the Caribbean region, to find best practices.”

This includes information about what other teams are doing for their athletes and perhaps learn what Bermuda could also be doing.

“And then making connections that hopefully we can pass on,” he said. “The Kenya netball thing is a simple example of that, so immediately I shared the contact info for the head of our netball federation with the Kenya folks, and they're like ‘who knows what would come out of it’, but we want to make those connections.”

When the King visited Bermuda in April the BOA was among the groups who, thanks to the Governor’s planning, met the monarch.

Many of Bermuda’s past Olympic and Commonwealth champions were there, including Olympic gold medal-winning triathlete Dame Flora Duffy, Clarance “Nicky” Saunders, whose Commonwealth Games high jump record from 1990 still stands, and some of today’s competitors, such as high jumper Sakari Famous who will compete in Glasgow, and others who competed at the Carifta Games.

Bermudian artist Chyna Talbot, designer of the island’s baton for the King’s Baton relay ahead of the Games, was also there.

“They had this really amazing opportunity to meet the King and have, I would say, pretty deep conversations,” Dunne said. “That helps build up the image of where Bermuda fits in the Commonwealth, that we’re part of this thing.

“And everyone, even one or two athletes who don't live in Bermuda, including Flora, specifically came for this five-minute window. I asked them to wear their medals and afterwards they walked around the crowds.”

Murdoch said the crowds were interested “because who's seen or held an Olympic medal up close?”

While the event celebrated past medal winners, it was great timing with the King’s Commonwealth Games baton relay, he said. “Also, we brought in some younger athletes who are not here now, but perhaps [will be] at the next Commonwealth Games. So, it's inspiring for them.”

The Governor said events such as the Commonwealth and CAC Games help encourage young people to take up sports, showing them “opportunities to travel, to participate, to meet people. I think that can be quite inspiring for others who might want to take up, literally, the baton”.

He added: “You get to go to these world-level events and meet competitors and representative groups and maybe step up to the Olympics and other events. These are kind of life-changing opportunities.

“If people see that, it could inspire them when the going gets tough and they think, ‘well, actually it's worth it because I've got a chance to be in the competitions.’”

The Glasgow Games has been scaled back to only ten sports after the city stepped in to rescue the event when Victoria, Australia, the original planned host, announced three years ago it would not be holding the event after costs escalated. Glasgow last hosted the Games in 2014.

Murdoch, a big sports fan, is impressed by the way the organisers have pulled it all together.

“They've done a first-class job given the circumstance of having to put this on out of a normal cycle of planning. And obviously the way they've done that is by scaling back a degree,” he said.

“But what they are doing is absolutely first class. It's a shame there aren't events like the triathlon or road [cycling] where we probably might have had participants. But all the participants that I've seen are making the most of the facilities and the opportunities.”

Dunne agreed, adding: “This city knows how to run a Games like this and I know that some of the people who are at the organising committee, as soon as Australia pulled out, Glasgow was an obvious opportunity. For Commonwealth Sport to have worked it out with Glasgow, and for Glasgow to be willing to take on this project on relatively short notice, is fantastic.”

Although not able to attend the full ten days of competition, Murdoch wishes the Bermuda team well.

“Massive hats off to everyone who's qualified to participate,” he said. “The message to them is you've got this fight, don't leave anything out. This is the opportunity, pull [on] all your training,” he said.

“From what I've seen, that's exactly what they're doing. All you can do is your best. You can compete hard and enjoy it at the same time. I hope they're having a good time meeting other athletes from around the Commonwealth and making connections.

“What I’ve picked up on talking to Peter and others is that the athletes are the pinnacle, they’re the ones doing their best, but there’s a network behind and underneath them. Obviously, you’ve got the Olympic Association, but clearly in each of the sports you’ve got the federations and then underneath that you’ve got friends and family. It’s this massive support network.

“The important thing as well is to make sure that Bermuda does punch above its weight. I know it sounds like a bit of a cliché, but it does.

“Where you've got talented people that perhaps don’t have the family means to support them, it’s important that they are given access to the same opportunities throughout the schemes. And that's where it's important to look at where funding is coming in and how they access it, to make sure everyone in Bermuda who's got the talent can make the most of it.”