The COJI (Jeux des Iles Organising Committee) has assigned to the CONI, Comitato Regionale della Sardegna, the organisation of the XVI edition of the international sporting event “Islands Games”, which will take place in Cagliari, Sassari and Alghero from 24 to 26 May.
The event, will involve more than 1000 young athletes (under 16) from 12 islands, representing eight nations, as well as representing a time dedicated to sports competition, as an ideal occasion for participating athletes to have time to live together in a sport atmosphere offering a lifetime experience of different cultures.
Once again the Maltese Olympic Committee will be participating with a 55 athlete contingent led by the Director of Youth Envic Galea.
It is specified that competitions will be accompanied by numerous cultural activities, preceded by a spectacular opening ceremony that will take place in Cagliari at the Campo Municipale Sportivo, at Via dello Sport, to welcome guests and let them know the best expressions of art and culture of Sardinia.
Like in previous editions, the athletes will compete in 10 different sports.
The C.O.J.I. is an association, which, in the development of its objectives, seeks the social integration of the Island Youth in the European entity and the mutual respect and of the citizenship, as well as the development of the purest spirit of the fair play in the field of the sports exchanges
On the other hand, it is the interest of the C.O.J.I. to promote the sport within the European islands , as factor of integration and social cohesion, to favour the exchanges and the dynamic collaboration between the islands which allow the development of the studies and the projects of cooperation between cities and regions.
It is necessary to underline also, to transform the “ Games of Islands “ into a sporting event with international character, which develops the Olympic spirit between the Youth, the fundamental principles of ‘fair play’ and the capacity of the organisation of technical programmes, technical training and the protection of the sportsmen of the island peripheral regions.
The objective is to contribute to the economic, technical and social exchanges of these regions as well as to collaborate with the bodies of management of the sport, in the international domain, in the promotion of the Olympic ideals and education, in the respect for the principles of the sports practice and for its technical development, all this contributing to the broadcasting of the Olympic ideals and to the preparation of the future island sportsmen for their integration in the Olympic selections.
Past host countries for COJI
1997 Corsica, 1998 Corsica, 1999 Sicily, 2000 Madeira, 2001 Balearic Islands, 2002 Sardinia, 2003 Azores, 2004 Canary Islands, 2005 Crete, 2006 Sicily, 2007, Corsica, 2008, Guadalupe, 2009 Mallorca, 2010 Azores, 2011 Sicily