Over the last two days our group has had a chance to learn more about the culture and the sports enjoyed here on the Islands. It is good to see that there is a wide variety of sports played here including cricket, badmington, archery, golf and floor hockey.
Meeting Governor Nigel Haywood
Governor Nigel Haywood explained that the development of sports in the Falkland Islands is very important for building community spirit, physical fitness as well as promoting the Islands internationally. Athletes from the Falkland Islands have competed in many international competitions including the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games. With the large population of sheep here, it may not be that surprising to learn that the Falklands is one of the top three countries in the World Sheep Shearing Championships.
Our group had the chance to meet Marcus Morrison, goaltender for the Stanley Penguins floor hockey team and a member of the Falkland Islands National Hockey Team. The team recently affiliated itself with the World Ball Hockey Federation and will be competing in next year’s World Championships in Canada. Good luck guys!
Marcus Morrison of the Falkland Island National Hockey team presents Bruce Callow with a t-shirt of the Stanley Penguins
On Wednesday evening we received a special dose of Falkland Island hospitality. This was a private concert by the legendary Falkland Island rock band, The Fighting Pigs. For four decades the Pigs have been a musical institution on the Islands and they offered to reform after an almost two year hiatus and play at a special concert for our journalists at the Trough Club in Stanley.
Opening the show was the very talented singer/songwriter Dae Peck, who impressed us all with her original song Proud to be in the Falklands.One of the Panamanian journalists Yasmina Reyes asked for the song be translated into Spanish, so she could promote it in her country.
Our Nicaraguan journalist Douglas Carcache commented that the Fighting Pigs are “an important cultural institution on the Falkland Islands and have laid the foundation for the development of great talent such as Dae Peck”.
These performances will be great elements of the documentary film we are making during this visit. I was personally very grateful that I was able to join the Fighting Pigs on stage for a couple of songs. Our deepest gratitude to Pete King and the rest of the band for putting this special event together for us.