Undanvitjan til Oyggjaleikirnar 2027

Good evening

My name is Tóri Højgaard, and I am the acting mayor of Runavík Municipality. Speaking on behalf of the mayor and the municipal council, I would like to welcome you all to Runavík — and to extend a special welcome to those of you who are visiting the Faroe Islands for the first time.

While I cannot claim to be much of an athlete myself, some of my earliest memories are connected to sport.

One of them relates to the third Island Games, which were held here in the Faroe Islands in 1989, when I was just three years old. I do not remember much about the Games themselves. But I do remember my grandfather giving me a stuffed toy — a puffin wearing a traditional Faroese sweater and cap. It was the mascot of the 1989 Island Games.

Another early sporting memory came not long after, when the Faroe Islands, still very new to international football, beat Austria 1–0 in Landskrona. At the time, it was seen by many as an extraordinary upset — almost a scandal. But here in the Faroe Islands, that match has taken on almost mythological status. It stands as a reminder that small communities can sometimes achieve things far beyond what others expect of them.

These may seem like small childhood memories. But nearly four decades later, I still remember them. And I think that says something important about sport. It is, of course, about competition, discipline, and achievement. But it is also about memories, identity, friendship, pride, and the connections between communities.

Now, almost forty years later, the Island Games are coming back to the Faroe Islands, and Runavík Municipality is proud that some of our sports venues have been chosen to host various disciplines.

For us, this is both an honour and a responsibility.

The Faroe Islands are small, but we are used to making ambitious things happen. We do it through cooperation, voluntary effort, and local commitment. That is true in sport, in culture, in municipal life, and in the way our communities work together.

In recent years, Faroese sport has also shown that small communities can compete far above what their population size might suggest. We have seen this particularly in handball, where Faroese national teams — men, women, and youth teams — have achieved results that have made people across the country proud. For us, that is a reminder that sport is not only about numbers. It is about culture, commitment, coaching, volunteers, families, and young people being given the chance to believe that they can compete.

I believe that this is also very much the spirit of the Island Games. The Games bring together islands that may be separated by distance, but which often share many of the same realities: small communities, strong local identities, limited resources, and a deep sense of pride in representing the place we call home.

Runavík Municipality is, by international standards, a small municipality. We have around 4,500 inhabitants. But in the Faroese context, Runavík is the third-largest municipality in the country, and one of the fastest growing.

We are also home to major parts of the Faroese economy, including Bakkafrost, headquartered in Glyvrar, one of the largest salmon farming companies in the world.

So although we are small, we are also a municipality marked by activity, growth, ambition, and strong local commitment.

And sport is one of the clearest examples of this.

Here in Runavík Municipality, sport has an important place in community life. We have 20 registered sports clubs, with a combined membership of approximately 3,300.

Of course, some people may be members of more than one club, and not every member necessarily lives within the municipality. But even with that in mind, these numbers say something important: for a municipality of our size, sport is not a side activity. It is a central part of community life.

And it is not only one or two sports. In Runavík Municipality, people can take part in everything from football, rowing and gymnastics to archery, darts, swimming, chess and martial arts. That breadth tells its own story.

Sport brings people together across generations. It gives children and young people something to strive for. It creates friendships, teaches discipline and teamwork, and gives communities moments of shared pride.

That is why we are pleased to be part of the preparations for 2027.

Of course, an event like this does not happen by itself. It requires planning, coordination, patience, and many people doing practical work behind the scenes. Municipalities, sports federations, local clubs, volunteers, organisers, and many others all have to pull in the same direction.

So I would also like to thank all of you who are involved in preparing the Games. Your work matters. Not only for the athletes who will compete, but also for the communities that will welcome them.

We hope that your visit to Runavík today has given you a useful impression of our facilities, but also a sense of who we are as a community. When the Games begin next year, we want our guests to experience well-organised competitions, but also Faroese hospitality, local pride, and the beauty of these islands.

Once again, welcome to Runavík. We are honoured to have you here, and we look forward to continuing the cooperation towards the Island Games in 2027.

Please enjoy the dinner, enjoy the evening, and feel very welcome here with us.