Our Mission
The goal of the CGAJ is to provide a clear pathway to the games. To support the athletes, coaches and administrators in their quest for excellence at the highest level. When I took up the mantle of President of the CGAJ, after over 30 years of involvement in various guises, I wanted to help the coaches, athletes and administrators to set goals and plan a pathway to the games. With the officers and some fantastic people in every sport, we are trying to MAKE IT HAPPEN. We want like-minded, totally committed people to be goal driven with a vibrant support team.
Paul du Feu MBE
President
Our Commitment
This Association is committed to supporting the hopes and aspirations of Jersey’s elite athletes in fulfilling their potential on the world stage of international sport. We aim to provide 21st Century back-up and technical advice to our sportspeople. In this aim, we are dependent on a healthy partnership with Local Government, the business sector and the public of Jersey at large. We recognize the vital importance of encouraging our young sportspeople in their development. To this end, we are determined to ensure the presence of a suitably qualified team at each Commonwealth Youth Games as well as the fullest participation at each 4 yearly Commonwealth Games. We currently have 15 Member Sports.
History
The Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey (CGAJ) was first formed in 1957 and has been participating in the Main Games since Cardiff 1958. In addition we have participated in the last three Youth Games. We are one of the smaller participants but are proud that over the years members of Team Jersey have won five medals i.e. one Gold (shooting) and four bronze (two in shooting and two in boxing). Although it is now a few years since a medal was won the sports of shooting, lawn bowls and badminton have been closest in that time to winning medals.
In the last 10 years the Association has undergone major change in order to endeavour to compete with the greater professionalism now in sport. Not only has the Constitution and Regulations been rewritten but a Validation Committee has been set up to oversee the production of Standards for each sport and to validate the credentials of nominees for selection. There is also now an Independent Appeals Panel to resolve any disputes. In the lead up to each Games a Games Management Group is set up consisting of a Chef de Mission (elected), a General Team Manager (elected), the President and the Secretary General. It is their job to make sure all the planning is done to ensure everything that can be done is done for the benefit of Team Jersey.
Jersey has gone from strength to strength and in 2007 our former President, Alan Cross, produced a booklet cataloguing the development of the Jersey Associations and details of it’s participation in the Games since 1958 which can be viewed here.