Ms McCARTHY - 2007-02-20
The Arafura Games provides us an opportunity to showcase our great lifestyle to our national and international neighbours. Can the minister inform the House about how the games are being assessed by others?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It is only 81 days until the Arafura Games; eight days in May that will bring 2500 athletes here from 30 countries in 23 sports. In particular, Macau will be sending 180 athletes, Brunei and Singapore more than 200, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea more than 300. And, of course, the local community is getting behind the Arafura Games. My understanding is that the Filipino community is prepared to billet all the athletes from the Philippines. We are also offering a position for three months for an official from the Vietnam Olympic Committee to work in Darwin for the Arafura Games.
In addition to that, we have now incorporated the Oceania Paralympic Championships, the Oceania Junior Weightlifting Championships and the Commonwealth Junior Championships. Also, the Wheelchair Basketball competition will be an Olympic qualifying event for the Beijing Paralympics for Asia and Oceania, with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Iran playing for the three positions that are available for Beijing.
The fantastic news that we received a couple of days ago is that the 2007 Arafura Games have now received Sports for All patronage from the International Olympic Committee. The committee has recognised the Arafura Games as Sports for All, as games that actually provide an opportunity for emerging athletes. I would like to tell you what the Australian Olympic Committee Secretary-General, Craig Phillips said in a press release :
We inherited the Arafura Games as a sports festival and we have now developed it to a world-class sporting event.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It is only 81 days until the Arafura Games; eight days in May that will bring 2500 athletes here from 30 countries in 23 sports. In particular, Macau will be sending 180 athletes, Brunei and Singapore more than 200, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea more than 300. And, of course, the local community is getting behind the Arafura Games. My understanding is that the Filipino community is prepared to billet all the athletes from the Philippines. We are also offering a position for three months for an official from the Vietnam Olympic Committee to work in Darwin for the Arafura Games.
In addition to that, we have now incorporated the Oceania Paralympic Championships, the Oceania Junior Weightlifting Championships and the Commonwealth Junior Championships. Also, the Wheelchair Basketball competition will be an Olympic qualifying event for the Beijing Paralympics for Asia and Oceania, with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Iran playing for the three positions that are available for Beijing.
The fantastic news that we received a couple of days ago is that the 2007 Arafura Games have now received Sports for All patronage from the International Olympic Committee. The committee has recognised the Arafura Games as Sports for All, as games that actually provide an opportunity for emerging athletes. I would like to tell you what the Australian Olympic Committee Secretary-General, Craig Phillips said in a press release :
- When we considered the IOC’s criteria for Sports for All patronage, we did not think that we could go past the Arafura Games. It offers good quality international competition in 23 sports to 3000 athletes across a wide age range from some 30 nations. It has become an important event for the Asia Pacific region in particular.
We inherited the Arafura Games as a sports festival and we have now developed it to a world-class sporting event.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016