Officiator of the opening ceremony
The opening of the NatWest Island Games on Gotland this summer will be performed by the Swedish minister of finance, Bosse Ringholm. He took up this position just over a month ago, having formerly been director-general of the Labour Market Board. Bosse Ringholm has been booked for a visit to Gotland and the NatWest Island Games for some time, by virtue of his former post, to take part in the seminar that will be held on "Sport and the Labour Market", intended for politicians who will be coming to Gotland during the week of the games.

Doping conference
Since there will be doping tests during the NatWest Island Games on Gotland, and since this issue has been the subject of considerable discussion in the organization, a conference on doping will be held in conjunction with this year’s games. The conference will be at Wisby Hotel on Sunday 27 June at 6 p.m. All islands are invited to send interested sports leaders and above all their medical personnel. An invitation will shortly be sent out to all member islands.

Current doping list
The Swedish Sports Confederation has now put up the IOC’s new doping list on the Internet. In Sweden it came into force on 1 May 1999. In the rest of the world it has been valid since 1 January 1999. It is therefore strange that the IOC still has the old list from 1998 on its website. We warn all participants not to trust the list on the IOC site. If you want the latest version of the list, download it from the Swedish Sports Confederation website, where there is also an original English version. It is conceivable that sports organizations on the individual islands have done their own translations. http://www.svenskidrott.se/rf/doping/listor/iok_listor.htm

Doping tests
As previously announced, doping tests will be performed during the week of the games. Peter Ahlvin, medical director of the games on Gotland, stresses how important it is that everyone who wants to take part should check his or her own medication and current drugs (e.g. nose drops, asthma medicines). It would be deplorable and unnecessary if anyone was caught in a doping test because they had omitted to check their medicines.

First aid
First aid will be available at each arena, manned by Red Cross staff who will be ready to take action whenever needed.

Medical care
Peter Ahlvin is in charge of medical care during the games. He will be assisted by six other doctors and physiotherapists. Medical care will have its headquarters at the Visborgsslätt Hospital, but there will be extra resources at Hemse, Slite and Fårösund.

General Meeting
As will be evident from the special invitation, this year’s General Meeting will be held on Thursday 1 July at Wisby Hotel. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. and continues until 12 noon, when there will be a break for lunch, to be hosted by our county governor. Lunch will be served in the County Governor’s Garden, which is just 100 metres from Wisby Hotel. After lunch, proceedings will continue, and when the meeting is over, the Isle of Man, host of the next NatWest Island Games, will treat delegates to a reception at the hotel.

Rules for weapons
As previously announced, all marksmen taking part in the NatWest Island Games must report the weapons and the ammunition they intend to bring with them on a special form for "weapon clearance", which has already been sent to all the islands. When we have received the completed forms, the police authorities on Gotland will issue a certificate which must then be shown at passport control when entering Sweden. For those coming by charter flight direct to Gotland, this will take place at Visby Airport. If you come by regular flight to Stockholm, passport control and weapon clearance are at Arlanda Airport. If you are coming by ferry the control will be made at the harbour of arrival in Sweden.

It is of the utmost importance that the forms are returned as soon as possible, since it takes a certain length of time for the police to issue the certificates.

Bearing weapons
All weapons must be stored at the Games Village in accordance with Swedish security regulations.

Changes of venue for badminton and basketball
A new racket hall is being built in Visby, and it has been our intention to use it for the badminton events in the NatWest Island Games. Unfortunately, it now appears that the hall will not be finished in time for use for the badminton events. Initially it was decided that badminton would be played in Södervärnshallen and basketball in Sävehallen, but it has since transpired that Sävehallen is not approved for international competitions. In consultation with those responsible for badminton, we have therefore decided to do a switch and move badminton to Sävehallen and basketball to Södervärnshallen.

Arrival on Gotland
All participants will be collected by bus at the airport or the harbour terminal and transported to their quarters. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you inform the Island Games Office of the date and time of your arrival. The same applies to departures, since we will also be arranging the transport then.

If there is any island that still has not settled its accommodation, we would be grateful if you could inform us immediately. The travel agency with which we are collaborating, "Gotlandsresor", has informed us that there is still uncertainty about some islands.

Opening ceremony
The opening of the NatWest Island Games on Gotland will take place at Strandgärdet, an area just outside the northern section of the ring-wall. The ceremony will start at 8 p.m. and is expected to last 2–2.5 hours. The programme comprises a formal part with all the participants marching in, speech of welcome, hoisting the flag, water ceremony, etc., and a special Gotland part on the theme of the Vikings. All participants staying at the Games Village and Kneippbyn will be transported by bus to the opening ceremony, while those staying at Gustafsvik can walk to Strandgärdet since it is so close. Participants will assemble at 7 p.m. to take their places for the parade into Paviljongsplan.

Changing money
Remember to change some of your money to Swedish kronor (crowns) before you leave for Sweden. The day when most people will be arriving is a public holiday when no banks are open.

The Swedish krona (SEK) is the national unit of currency. Travellers cheques can be cashed into Swedish crowns at most banks. Personal cheques can normally not be cashed. Major credits are mostly accepted in shops and restaurants, look for door/window displays. The tourist office at Hamngatan 4 provides money exchange, tel. 0498 20 17 00.

It will also be possible to change money at certain times at the information centre at the Games Village.

Safe-deposit lockers at the Games Village
People who will be staying at the Games Village can use the lockers there. Bring your own padlock if you want to lock in your belongings.

Accessibility to locations such as toilets and parking in Visby for disabled persons
The old town of Visby (inside the walls) is from the Middle Ages, which means that many buildings are not amicable to anyone who is disabled in any way. Narrow doorways, steps, and steep streets with rounded cobblestones make access limited.

Outside the walls, on the other hand, there is Östercentrum (East Centre) with a shopping centre, post office, banks and other public buildings There is easy access almost everywhere to anyone in a wheelchair.

There are several toilets that are adapted for disabled persons around Visby and the handicapped sign is placed in front of most public buildings to ease parking.

More information is available at: Gotland Municipality Office, phone +46 (0)498-26 20 68, or any Impaired Persons Organization, phone +46 (0)498-21 42 17.

Press Centre
A press centre will be available for journalists covering the NatWest Island Games. About 60 journalists hitherto have sought accreditation. The press centre is part of the centre for information and results. The centre is centrally located at Östercentrum in the D-building of Solberga School, beside Gutavallen (the arena for athletics and football).

The centre will provide information, results and information staff. Work stations will be available.

Preliminary opening hours:

Thursday 24/6 17.00–20.00
Friday 25/6 13.00–17.00
Saturday 26/6 08.00–23.00
During the games week 07.00–23.00
(Sunday 27/6 – Saturday 2/7)
Sunday 3/7 07.00–12.00

New Press Officer
Mr Jörgen Wessman is appointed new Press Officer, phone work +46 (0)498 20 42 54, home +46 (0)498 49 13 78, mobile +46 (0)70-217 95 08.

List of participants and games programme
The deadline for definitive registration was 26 April, and work is now in full swing at the Island Games Office to produce a list of all 1,858 participants.

We get a great many questions about who has registered for which events, about whether a particular person is coming from the Isle of Man, about who has been selected for the Gotland basketball team, and so on. The Office and Eastweb (from whom we have bought the registration and result reporting program) are working hard to make the information available, but unfortunately we cannot say exactly which day this will be finished. There will be links from the NatWest Island Games website; check on the "Latest News" page, where you can always find the freshest information. www.gotlandweb.com/islandgames

Reporting results
Make sure your parents, grandparents and friends at home and your penfriend in New Delhi learn the address of the NatWest Island Games website:

www.gotlandweb.com/islandgames

If they are not on the spot in Gotland (and of course we hope that they are) they can follow your results on the Internet. At the very moment the results are entered at the various arenas, they will be available to supporters all over the world!

Final results
The final results from NatWest Island Games 1999 will be available on Internet linked with our present homepage on NatWest Island Games 1999 on Gotland Web.

The results form will follow after each participating Island, sport, event in the sport, etc. Copies may be made of the chosed pages.

Water
Remember to bring your water bottle, which you can keep topped up with the excellent tap water available all over Sweden.

Water ceremony
Speaking of water, remember that each island is supposed to bring its own water for the water ceremony at the opening of the games.

Meals
Breakfast is served 07.00–09.00, dinner 15.00–22.00. You have breakfast and dinner at the place where you are quartered, on showing your authorization. You can have lunch anywhere you like at your own expense.

Driving in Sweden
Sweden has right-hand traffic. Driving licences are issued from the age of 18. Foreign visitors driving in Sweden do not need Swedish driving licences, but you must carry photo ID in addition to your own driving licence.

Pass cards
At previous games it has been necessary to have a pass card with a photograph of the participant. This is not the case on Gotland. You do not need to have a photograph with you, but you should be prepared to show other ID when asked. The Games Village, where many of the participants are staying, and where the buses run from, is a military area and we must respect the security rules there.

Web statistics
Swedish homepage: 2,139 visitors in April
English homepage: 735 visitors in April

The diagram shows the number of visitors to the Swedish homepage since the start in May 1998.

The website is updated daily: see the "Latest News" page.

Follow the spring on Gotland
Spring has arrived on Gotland. Although this year has been colder than usual, it is now green and beautiful. Follow the progress of spring and summer and our preparations for the games on the Internet. On the website under "Latest News" you will find a link to a page where 15 new pictures from Gotland are shown each week. Look and enjoy.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted indoors in public places, in other words, in competition halls, shops, galleries and the like. However, restaurants do have special smoking sections.

By learning from "the Swedish model", you can develop sports on your island
The active Swedish labour market policy can be an important asset to sport clubs. And sport clubs can be an equally important asset to employment authorities in their efforts to give unemployed people training and jobs.

In Gotland, this cooperation has achieved a great deal:

• The sport clubs have received help to refurbish sports facilities, to maintain sports venues, and to administrate offices.
• The sports clubs have also been able to recruit young people with theoretical and practical training in sports subjects.
• Unemployed and disabled people have been given meaningful training and occupations.

Now we would like to show visitors from islands participating in the NatWest Island Games some of our projects. The projects, chosen from Gotland and the Swedish mainland, will be presented in an exhibition and four seminars on Sunday 27 June, 8.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. at Arbetsförmedlingen (The Employment Service), Österväg 2, Visby.

Take this opportunity to learn how sport and society can benefit from cooperation!

See the detailed program at our website, http://www.gotlandweb.com/islandgames/engelska-ig/programme/frprogramme.htm

Bookings of all the activites are made at: Gotlandsresor, phone
+46 (0)498-201260 Mrs Carina Hamander or Mrs Cecilia Sätterström.

Join a guided tour at the County Museum
Visit the County Museum of Gotland and be guided through the exhibitions and collections of Viking finds from Gotland. You can also join the evening tour. A Viking snack will be served.

Arr: Gotlands Fornsal and Fornsalen Konferens
Daytour:13.30–14.30.
Day: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (English guide) Tuesday, Thursday (Swedish guide).
Price: 40 SEK
Evening tour ( incl. snack): 19.30– 20.30. Monday– Thursday.
Price:100 SEK

A guided tour in the old city
Join a guided tour through the medieval town and see the Viking Age heritage under the guidance of archeologist Eric Swahnström.

Arr: Fornsalens Konferens.
Price: 60 SEK
Day: Mon–Thurs 14.00–16.30

Listen to the myths and sagas of the Vikings in the beautiful surroundings of Visby
Archaeologist Eric Swahnström tells the sagas and the myths of the Vikings in the ruins of the church of S:t Hans or in the old Viking Age harbour of Almedalen.

Arr: Fornsalen Konferens.
Price: 60 SEK
Day: Monday and Tuesday 20.45–21.30 in the ruin of S:t Hans. Thursday 20.45–21.30 in Almedalen.

Visby - the world trading center during the Middle Ages
Archaeologist Eric Swahnström will give a lecture illustrated with slides on the role of Visby as the center of world trade during the Medieval Period. The lecture will be given in the medieval house which used to belong to the Swedish bishop of Linköping. Bread baked according to a medieval recipe will be served along with a jug of wine or beer.

Become an archaeologist for a day in Fröjel
This is the chance for you who take an interest in archaeology: for you who’ve always wanted to take part in an archaeological excavation, but never got the chance, nor the time. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge or archaeological experience of any kind; our only requirement is that you are at least 15 years old. Youngsters between 12 - 15 may join if they are accompanied by parents. Included in the arrangement is an introduction to the history of the harbour at Fröjel, a fact sheet on the Viking Age harbour, and all the excavation equipment needed to carry out the task, except for personal clothing.

Arr: Fröjel Discovery Programme.
Price: 415 SEK, transport not included.
Day: Monday–Thursday 09.00–16.00.
Max: 8–10 participants.

Visit the exhibition and the excavation site at Fröjel
"A thick smell of tar is over the area, you hear the echo of an axe cutting and the blow of a heavy hammer. From the trading place rises the sound of people talking, mixed with screams and laughter". This is the beginning of the story told at the exhibition of the trading place at Fröjel. The exhibition describes Fröjel as the harbour and trading place it was at the beginning of the 11th century. Installations, reconstructed surroundings and artefacts will help the visitor to travel back in time, experience the events and activities that made Fröjel a flourishing and vigorous site. >From the exhibition, it is 300 metres to the actual site of the archaeological excavations, and guided tours will take the visitors to the excavation site, as well as to the exhibition.

Arr: Fröjel Discovery Programme.
Price:110 SEK
Day: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 13.00–17.00. Please note:25 participants minimum.

Visit the Viking village
In the Viking village you get a different and fun experience for a couple of hours. You are welcome to try out som Viking handicrafts such as smithing, weaving etc. You can also join the Vikings i battles and sports.

Price:110 SEK not includng transport.
Day: Monday–Thursday 13.00–17.00.

Be a guest at a Viking feast
Pass through the great wooden doors and step back one thousand years - to a ninth century Viking village. You’re in the Gotland farmstead of the dreaded Erik Bloodaxe, the fearsome Viking chief. The entertainment starts with a variety of games of the sort suited to the rough spirit of a Viking warrior - axe-throwing, tossing the caber, tug-of-war and other exercises that might prove useful in battle. We take part as teams, and the evening’s champion is decided in man-to-man combat.

Later, at the roughly-hewn tables, we realize how hungry we have become. We eat the succulent meat with our fingers, washing it down with something to drink. One thing can you be sure of - it’ll be an evening to remember.

Arr: Vikingabyn, Tofta.
Price: 325 SEK, not including transport. Travel expense is excluded.
Day: Monday - Thursday 18.00 - 22.00. Please note: 30 participants minimum.

Sailing with the Viking ships
Welcome to experience the ships that arrived home after a long trading voyage. Take part as a member of the crew and try your skill in sailing the ships. At the beach you will also get the chance to try out different Viking games and handicraft.

Arr: Langsvaige Association .
Price:145 SEK
Day: Monday–Thursday 18.00–21.00.
Please note:10 participants minimum. Mrs Cecilia Sätterst

For further information please contact:
Organising Committee NatWest Island Games 1999

Homepage: http://www.gotlandweb.com/islandgames
e-mail: islandgames@bigfoot.com

Address:
Neptungatan 4, SE-621 41 Visby, Sweden
Telephone:
+46-498-20 70 71, 20 70 74
Telefax:
+46-498-21 54 74

Newsletter
is distribuated by Gotland NatWest Island Games 1999 Organising Committee.
Next issuse: June 1999

Legally responsible editor
Susanne Gustafsson,
Information Officer

International major sponsor: NatWest Offshore.
National major sponsors: Destination Gotland, Ericsson, Svenska Spel, Volvo.
National official suppliers: BRS Office AB, Fujitsu, Gotlandsresor AB, Gotlands Tidningar, Hertz Biluthyrning, Intron, Radio Four, Skyways, Statoil, Visby Screen, Wisby Hotell AB, Wisby Mail AB