Indian Ocean Island Games Indian Ocean Island Games The Indian Ocean Island Games () is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Indian Ocean island nations. The Games was created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977 and currently gather the island nations and territories of Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion and the Maldives. The number of athletes who participate has increased over the years, it went from 1000 athletes in 1979 to over 1500 participants in 2003 and 2007. From 1947 until 1963, a precursor called Indian Ocean Games Triangulaire was organized between Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion. In
Penang Island known as the "Silicon Valley of the East" and a booming tourist destination. George Town's historical core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while its beaches and the Penang Hill, the tallest point in Penang, are popular amongst tourists as well. The state of Penang is named after Penang Island, which was, in turn, named after the areca nut palm ("Areca catechu", family: Palmae), also known as "pinang" in Malay. To this day, the island has also been known as the Pearl of the Orient, or "Pulau Mutiara" (The Island of Pearls) in Malay. The early Malays called the island