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"The champagne is on ice" now that Bermuda has won key support to host the 2013 NatWest Island Games.

On Saturday the Executive Committee of the International Island Games Association (IGA) voted to recommend Bermuda over Prince Edward Island to host the event that is expected to attract 4,000 athletes, officials and spectators.

It would make it the largest sporting event ever held on the island.

The recommendation comes two weeks after Guernsey publically backed Bermuda's bid by saying PEI was "too big" to host the games.

Jörgen Pettersson, IGA chairman said that the final decision will be taken by the membership at the IGA Annual General Meeting in Aland in June.

Bermuda IGA chairman, Jon Beard said while this doesn't mean that Bermuda will win the bid, but the executive members "carries a lot of weight with the membership.

"This is a positive thing. We were two votes short last time (when Bermuda lost to Aland) and so if we have the executive vote, then that has to be in our favour, but in the end it comes down to all the islands voting."

Beard added: "It's great news, but I'll reserve the champagne until the vote. I'll have the champagne on ice. If we lose I'll give it to PEI."

He said that Bermuda will be keeping in touch with the other islands. This will not only be to firm up support that's already committed, but help win over more votes and let them know how Bermuda was improving its facilities.

Beard pointed to the start of construction of Bermuda Football Association's new synthetic surface field as a positive example of things that will help strengthen the chances of winning the bid.

Jon Gazzard, general secretary for the Bermuda Island Games Association, said: "We're ecstatic. We're pleased."

He said one thing working in Bermuda's favour is our bid includes shooting as one of the 14 sports where as PEI's doesn't. Another is that most sports would be centrally located in Hamilton.

The major negative for Bermuda's bid is how expensive we are compared to PEI.[[In-content Ad]]

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