Republic of Mauritius- IOIG 2019: 100 days Countdown launched

The tenth edition of the IOIG, a multi-sports event held every four years among athletes from Indian Ocean islands, is being hosted from 19 to 28 July 2019 in Mauritius.

A spectacular fly-board performance by two professional fly-board operators from France and the Netherlands, a performance by the IOIG 2019 mascot Krouink, and a firework show were the limelight of the countdown ceremony.  The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Stephan Toussaint, the Chief Executive Officer of the 2019 IOIG’s Organising Committee, Mr Jean Pierre Sauzier, and several other personalities were present.  

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Toussaint expressed enthusiasm with regard to the holding of the Games after 16 years in Mauritius, which he said will be a memorable event mobilising the Mauritian population.  Preparations, he pointed out, are underway and entering their final stretch with only one hundred days remaining for the launching of IOIG 2019.

The Minister indicated that sports federations have received, for the first time, a budget, two years prior to the Games so as to create optimal training conditions for Mauritian athletes. He therefore appealed to sportspersons to perform remarkably and win gold medals for Mauritius while adding that the population should show their patriotic zeal and support the Mauritian team during IOIG 2019.

Indian Ocean Island Games

The first edition of the IOIG was held in Reunion Island in 1979. The multi-sports event is held every four years among sportsmen and sportswomen from Indian Ocean islands competing for medals across 14 different sports disciplines.

The objectives of the Games are to contribute to regional cooperation through the development of sports in the region; and, building friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the islands of the Indian Ocean, in the spirit of the Olympics.

The ninth edition of the IOIG was held from 1^st to 9 August 2015 in Reunion Island. Mauritius won a total of 185 medals (66 gold, 49 silver, 70 bronze) and ranked second after the host country who claimed 209 medals.