The Azores will be represented in 16th Island Games (JDI) "Sardinia 2012" by 91 young athletes in nine sports. This year's event will be held on the island of Sardinia with the collaboration of the cities of Cagliari, Sassari and Alghero between May 24 and 26.
The 2012 games comprise the following sports: handball (men's), track and field (men's/women's), basketball (women's), artistic gymnastics (men's/women's), judo (men's/women's), swimming (men's/women's), tennis (men's/women's), table tennis (men's/women's), sailing (men's/women's) and volleyball (men's). The Azores will not compete in artistic gymnastics as this sport has very little relevance in the archipelago.
The Azorean young athletes will be accompanied by a coach and a sports leader. The delegation also includes four referees and a doctor.
The Island Games, an event organised by COJI (Organising Committee of the Island Games), are an international sports competition that mainly aims to promote sport among European youngsters as a factor of social integration and cohesion. Moreover, it intends to raise the awareness of youngsters for the various areas of sports associations as well as to instil the Olympic spirit among them by ensuring the fundamental principles of "fair play." The contribution to the organising capacity of training programmes for the technical improvement of youngsters of insular and outermost regions is another goal of this initiative.
These games are the most important sports event involving youngsters that share insularity as their common background. Comprising Mediterranean islands in an initial phase, this competition has since widened its scope and now welcomes far regions such as Tahiti (French Polynesia) or the French island of Réunion.
The Island Games are developed in accordance with international rules. Teams are composed by youngsters up to age of cadets (15/16 years), who practice sport in the context of the respective national sports federation.
This edition will count on the participation of the Azores, Cyprus, Corfu, Corsica, Martinique, Elba, Sicily, Sardinia, Jersey, Wight, Korkula and Malta.
The 2nd Edition of the Island Games (first in which the Azores participated) took place in Corsica in 1998.
The Azores organised the 7th Edition in May 2003 and hosted the 14th Edition which, for its high quality level in terms of organisation and competition, was unanimously considered the best so far.