He travelled the 1,600 miles to the Polish capital from the Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic Sea between Iceland and Norway, with the same mission as always.

The Faroe Islands, a self-governing region of Denmark since 1948, have been campaigning for International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition for more than 40 years. Without it, athletes are forced to compete at the Olympic Games under the flag of Denmark.

Having stepped up their efforts last year, progress is being made by Hestoy and his team.

With the Faroe Islands recognised by eight Olympic International Federations, including FIFA and European Aquatics, the region was granted permission by the EOC to compete in archery, badminton, judo and table tennis at June’s European Games in Minsk.

The last-minute decision meant it was too late to send athletes to the Belarusian capital, but the 2023 edition in the Kraków and Małopolska region is firmly in their sights.

"We had a very good meeting last year in Lausanne with the EOC and we agreed that we both disagree with the IOC on the possibility of recognition for the Faroe Islands," Hestoy said, as we meet before the second day of the General Assembly begins.

"But out of this meeting came a decision by the EOC Executive Committee in January that we could participate in the European Games in the sports where we have international recognition, and the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), which was another fantastic bonus.

"However, this was January. Things don't move that fast so we didn't get under protocol until April and none of our sports had tried to qualify for the European Games.

"So we didn't send anyone to the European Games and it was rough. Next time, obviously, we will plan it in."

Despite this achievement, Hestoy and his team are still chasing another competition, one which is perhaps given more significance on the Faroe Islands.

"There is the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), which for us is perfect," Hestoy explained.

"But, they are very independent. There are nine countries, nine small countries from one million and down.

"They will have their next meeting next spring and we hope they will find some solution that will give us a possibility to be a part of that.

"I will tell you, when we came back with the results regarding the European Games and EYOF, our members said what about the Games of the Small States?

"This is really crazy. You serve a very good meal, and they will say what is for dessert," he laughed.

"The IOC says, as the rule stands now, we cannot accept you, but we do not want to stop you. So, if the EOC or GSSE or some other International Federation would like to take you in, it's fine with us and we will even endorse it."

The Faroe Islands campaign was bolstered in September when the Swedish Olympic Committee backed their bid for Olympic inclusion. The Olympic Committees of Denmark, Iceland and Norway had already done the same.

"All the Nordic countries, except Finland ,support us and they have written letters of support," Hestoy said.

"The Swedish are very well connected, and we were very happy when they endorsed us.

"It's not like we are some obscure entity trying to fight everybody.

"It's strange because when we are here, it's like we are one of the guys. Everybody says, 'Oh you are not a member? But our national football team played yours’' and so on.

"A lot of people are quite puzzled, and it is our main goal to get people to ask why the Faroe Islands aren’t recognised. I think it's starting to work."

The idea of Olympic recognition is also popular back home among the 51,000 Faroese.

"In Faroe Islands, everything is 50-50," Hestoy said.

"Fifty per cent are unionists and 50 per cent are republicans.

"But this campaign of ours is the only, only thing, and I tell you this is the only thing that every political party, left, right, Christian, republican - unanimous. Everybody agrees on it."

Having travelled from Britain, a country that is also split exactly down the middle due to its political climate, it is hard to imagine such a unifying power.

Olympic recognition is exactly that, however, and remains the ultimate goal of the Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee.

For Hestoy, he hopes that the Olympic Charter will soon be updated. It is a rule added in 1996 that prevents the Faroe Islands from being recognised, with National Olympic Committee recognition "only granted after recognition as an independent state by the international community".

"Our ultimate hope is that, at some point, they need to rewrite the Olympic Charter," he said.

"Realistically, it is from 1996. The world in '96 and the world in 2019 is completely different. In the 1990s, you had the Iron Wall coming down. You had the Balkans going into pieces, all of Yugoslavia, and everybody was really afraid that the world would just splinter.

"The rule is written in a state of mind where you want to salvage anything, and that is not the reality anymore."

With that, a bell sounds marking the start of the General Assembly. Hestoy is off to re-enter the fray and continue to fight for Olympic recognition.