Sport / Orkney games officially opened on scorching day of celebrations
THE 2025 Island Games in Orkney have been officially opened in a scorching hot celebration of sport and friendships in Kirkwall.
On the hottest day of the year so far, Princess Anne signalled the start of the week-long event with a short speech in Bignold Park.
A raft of spectators – many of them from Shetland – were on hand to watch performances from Orkney school pupils and from local band Stereo Lobsters before TV personality Lorraine Kelly took to the stage.
International Island Games Association chairman Andrew Inkster also addressed the crowd, saying the Orkney games had “felt like a long time coming” after a two-year Covid delay.
Inkster said that while results would be important for the competitors, it was “friendships more so” that would be the focus of the week.
Crowds of people had lined Kirkwall’s streets to cheer – and theatrically boo – team Shetland as they marched down to St Magnus Cathedral on Saturday night.
The games themselves get under way on Sunday morning, with Shetland’s bowlers, sailors and squash players all in action from early morning.
Attentions will turn to the triathlon in Stromness in 11am, with the women’s team boasting a strong recent medal record, with the women’s football team kicking off for the first time in 20 years at 12pm in Kirkwall.
The men’s football team play Gozo at 3.30pm, with the badminton team event and athletics races all adding up to a busy first day.
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