Games kick off with a splash
The annual Halberg Games has kicked off with 148 physically disabled and visually impaired athletes competing at King’s College in Otahuhu.
Competitors between the ages of 8 to 21 have come from all over the country for the three-day games. Halberg lead adviser John Sigurdsson said the games were about getting involved in sport and having fun.
He said that for some competitors the games were their only chance to play specialised sports.
“Power chair football needs eight people who all use power chairs and live basically in the same area, so it’s really hard to get a game organised in other smaller places.”
Over 100 competitors have travelled from outside Auckland, with some coming from as far as Otago and Southland, vying for the chance to take home the trophy for best regional team. There are 20 different sports at the games, including swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and athletics.
Sigurdsson said there is also an opportunity to pursue more competitive pathways into Paralympics training events.
The games will finish with a closing ceremony tomorrow.
There are five trophies up for grabs, including the Sir Murray Halberg Cup for the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Halberg Games. The opening day was also marked with the launch of the Sport NZ Disability Plan by Sports Minister Grant Robertson.
Halberg Foundation chief executive Shelley McMeeken said it was fantastic to have the new plan.