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Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller is calling on those with responsibility for island sport to ensure the "incredible power of sport" is realised following the huge success of the Guernsey 2023 Island Games.
She has told Express that she was "quite underwhelmed" with responses she's received from the President of Education, Sport and Culture to a series of Rule 14 questions she asked about the legacy of the Games and investment into sport facilities.
Deputy Kazantseva-Miller's questions and ESC President Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen's responses were published on the States website last week.
Pictured: ESC said it is committed to promoting sports in answers given to questions around the legacy of the Island Games.
Deputy Kazantseva-Miller's concerns related to the proposed cut in funding for the Sports Commission which was announced last month. She told Express that those concerns remain following the responses to her questions, in particular around States investment in sport provision and facilities - both to publicly owned facilities like Beau Sejour and potential public/private partnerships like other sports grounds.
"Throughout the Island Games we saw the incredible power of sport for our community and Guernsey and what volunteer-led and predominantly sponsor-funded events can achieve," she said.
"I was quite underwhelmed by the responses received to my questions. In terms of facilities improvements, £200k has been invested with about £66k of that attributable to States portion of the funding. Examples of other improvements mentioned such as the former Indoor Sports Centre (now Aztech) are entirely privately led and not linked to the Island Games or Committee funding.
"We had some amazing swimming at Beau Sejour but it's sad to see that the facilities largely have not changed since there were built and that they cannot support spectator sitting. Beau Sejour sits on massive prime real estate land in St Peter Port but makes £1m in losses. Is the island investing and thinking about its sports and recreational facilities strategically?"
Pictured: There was a £53k investment in shooting ahead of the Games. Any investment in the Aztecs Centre (where some of the shooting events took place) was entirely privately-led and should not be attributed to the States said Deputy Kazantseva-Miller. (ROB CURRIE)
Deputy Kazantseva-Miller said she would like to see "understanding of the true value that investment into sport provides in terms of physical and mental health, community values, tourism and event international relations and educational outcomes".
She said that is lacking at the moment and that ESC has given "no quantifiable value" "in relation to the Committee's plans to promote sport and sport participation or Youth Sport after the Games".
With States finances under increasing pressure, Deputy Kazantseva-Miller says the island should be looking to invest in sport rather than decrease any public funding because it is proven to have a positive effect further down the line.
"Each pound of funding provided to the Island Games and to the Sports Commission achieves a significant multiplier effect," she argued.
"It's a great example of how we can enhance outcomes for the community through an improved commissioning model or even doing things differently. This means we could achieve more with the same or even less but a change in approach needs to be carefully thought through. The role of the States as a key anchor investor and facilitator is likely to remain for the foreseeable future."
Pictured: The final medals table at the end of the sixth day of competition showing Guernsey's sporting successes across disciplines and age groups.
When the 2023 NatWest International Island Games came to a close on Friday, Guernsey was at the top of the medals table with 54 gold, 49 silver and 42 bronze awards.
The medals were achieved across 13 different sports, with only the island's two football teams not achieving podium positions in their competitions.
Guernsey's shooters achieved 33 medals, swimmers 32 and athletes 22.
There were 18 medals across the cycling events, while the indoor bowls teams won a medal in each event they entered.
"It's not too late to build on the amazing Island Games we've had," said Deputy Kazantseva-Miller. "I would encourage the Committee to really rethink their approach to sports support. Community, sports associations and Sports Commission can also be instrumental in asking for a new way forward."
The sport events were held across 25 venues last week with Deputy Kazantseva-Miller asking why there can't be more opportunities for different competitions to be held at different places as we saw with the town cycling criterium and the sprint triathlon, and the mountain bike courses at L'Ancresse.
"There is much to build on but given many other Committee priorities, I hope sport does not fall off the radar as the energy of Games wanes," she said.
ESC "committees to promoting sports and sports participation"
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The "legacy" of the Island Games
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