The 18th running of the biennial NatWest International Island Games gets under way in Gibraltar on Saturday evening.

Team Isle of Man will be among more than 2,000 competitors and officials descending on ’The Rock’ for six days of sporting action.

It’s the second time the 2.6 square-mile British Overseas Territory has hosted the jamboree of sport, having welcomed 17 islands to the sixth Games in 1995.

This time 21 islands will make the trip to southern Europe to compete in 14 different sports.

Of these the Manx contingent of 177 are taking part in 13, with no representation in the beach volleyball competition this time around.

The two-hour opening ceremony gets under way at 6pm (British time) at the Europa Point Sports Complex.

The venue is one of several that have been refurbished or built for the Games. Indeed the new Lathbury Sports Complex, which will host swimming, shooting and athletics, only laid the track for the latter this week.

The swimming facility is also unfinished with competitors having to get ready in temporary Portakabins with the changing rooms not yet complete.

The majority of Team Isle of Man will arrive in Gibraltar tomorrow, Friday, but with no direct flights from Ronaldsway this year the different sports have had to make their own travel plans with some arriving earlier in the week to acclimatise.

Some practice events take place on Saturday, but the competitive action itself starts on Sunday morning with the triathlon event at 7am (British time).

It’s a busy first day of competition with only the island’s swimmers and judo players not in action until the following day.

After several jam-packed days the Games comes to an end with the closing ceremony on Friday evening.

Hopefully by that point Team Isle of Man will have matched its feats of 2017 when it finished top of the Gotland medal table with 39 golds, 36 silvers and 26 bronze. The total of 101 medals was the island’s best return at an oversees Games and keeps the Manx second behind Jersey in the all-time standings.

ISLE OF MAN SQUAD

Athletics (28) Brandon Atchison; Thomas Riley; Bethan Pilley; Meghan Pilley; Jack Lemaire; Bethany Carridge; Ashleigh Lachenicht; Rhys Owen; Lydia Morris; David Mullarkey; Phoebe Coates; Rachael Franklin; Stephen Garrett; Alan Corlett; Hannah Howard; Elissa Morris; Hannah Riley; Michael Haslett; Daniel Stewart-Clague; Aimee Cringle; Max Costley; James Margrave; Megan Lockwood; Keoghan Taylor; Tazmin Fayle; Alan Corlett; Ollie Lockley; Elliott Callow.

Badminton (10) Tobey Cheng; Steven Quayle; Nick Thornley; Kayleigh Callow; Kimberley Clague; Jessica Li; Philippa Li; Nicola Wilkinson; Neil Harding; Matthew Nicholson.

Basketball (24) Sean Anthony; Ben Barlow; Peter Boussougou; Thomas Dalton-Brown; Sean Doyle; Jakob Glover; Paul Kilic; Wayne Mears; Michael Pardoe; Callum Randall; Ross Wilson; Chris Wolfendale. Amber Carridge; Becky Dunne; Lauren Ellison; Fiona Guest; Holly Hennessy; Gemma Kirkham; Zoe Kirkham; Daniella Kraleva; Danielle Murphy; Lesley Murray; Wendy Owens; Nefeli Protogeraki.

Cycling (10) Thomas Bostock; William Corkill; Nathan Draper; Matt Looker; Adam Scarffe; Tara Ferguson; Ellen Barker; Emily Looker; Kathryn Priest; Becky Storrie.

Judo (8) Archie Collis; Paul Crawley; Magnus Black; Connor Craig; Liam Corlett; Sean Whitlam-Askin; Chris Horton; Breeshey Cain.

Sailing (4) Donald Edwards; Philip Hardisty; Matthew Perry; Simon Pressly.

Shooting (9) Mark Riley; Alan Wade; James Bradley; David Walton; Robert Watterson; Josh Holden; Nathan Holden; Matthew Roosen; Tracey Skelton.

Squash (10) Oscar Hill; Dave Norman; Thomas Whiteway; Patrick Fitzpatrick; Robin Crease; Hannah Dixon; Laura Smith; Michelle Smith; Beth Jones; Emma Leith.

Swimming (14) Harvey Lowe; Aimee Myers; Kiera Prentice; Peter Allen; Brody Hewison; Olivia Marshall; Blae Richardson; Ben Kebbell; Steph Brew; Laura Kinley; Emma Hodgson; Euan MacMurchie; Alex Bregazzi; Joel Watterson.

Table tennis (4) Christopher Holmes; Scott Lewis; Kerenza Baker; Katherine Vinas.

Ten-Pin Bowling (4) Robert Birnie; Jeff Calvert; Gavin Laslett; Tom Maxwell.

Tennis (9) James Buxton; Marc Chinn; Robert Comber; Sean Drewry; Laura Feely; Katie Harris; Elena Snidal; Hannah Snidal; Karen Faragher.

Triathlon (10) Ryan Downey; William Draper; Christopher Hewson; Juan Kinley; Andrew Nash; Jonathon Piggin; Nigel Quaye; James Wright; Lynsey Elliott; Carrie Wernham.

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