The government has ditched its plans for a Year of Sport in 2023.

Announced originally in the Island Plan, the government had committed to hosting the event to ‘boost tourism, the domestic economy and wellbeing’.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan revealed in a written Tynwald question that it wouldn’t be going ahead.

He felt that, following talks with clubs and others, that there was already enough sporting events planned for the year, and committing to more would be ‘challenging’.

The minister said: ‘Engagement between Visit Isle of Man, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, and the various local sporting clubs and governing bodies indicated that the 2023 sporting calendar was effectively already committed in terms of scheduling and resources and it would, therefore, be challenging to build further upon this at this stage.

‘Isle of Man Sport are due to consider the matter further at their board meeting in November.

‘Similarly the Visit Isle of Man Board intend to discuss objectives in terms of visitor numbers and any potential support required.’

He added the likelihood was that any potential options would be ‘brought forward for 2024-2025 to enable the local sporting community to plan effectively’.

The commitment was detailed under the points on how the government will deliver the vision for a ‘strong and diverse’ economy within the Island Plan, published in mid-January this year.

The government had explained that creating a tourism offering which is ‘more diverse, supports our island all year round, and is a valued and growing part of our island’s proposition’ would lead to more people engaging in sporting activities.

This, in turn, would mean people would be encouraged to visit the island to ‘enjoy the rich range’ of sporting events and activities on offer.