Arafura Games gets competitors
VIETNAM and Indonesia have signed up for the resurrected Arafura Games, making them the first two countries, other than Australia, to take part.
Arafura Games Minister Ken Vowles visited Vietnam and Indonesia this week to discuss the Games alongside other business opportunities for the Territory.
“We made an election promise to bring back the Arafura Games and it is fantastic to see two of our close trading partners — Vietnam and Indonesia — say they will take part,” Mr Vowles said. In Vietnam Mr Vowles met with Culture, Sport and Tourism viceMinister Le Khanh Hai who confirmed the country will be sending athletes to the 2019 Arafura Games.
“Vietnam is the second biggest importer of live cattle and buffalo from the NT — behind Indonesia — and their participation in the Games will further strengthen our relationship,” Mr Vowles said.
In Indonesia, Mr Vowles met with the Secretary of Youth and Sports Secretary Gatot Sulistiantora Dewa Broto, and Indonesian National Sports Committee chairman Major General (Ret’d) Tono Suratman.
“Indonesia was one of our biggest competitors in the 2011 Games,” Mr Vowles said.
“They sent more than 250 athletes to take part and it would be great to get back to that level of participation.”
The Games had previously grown to include 47 countries taking part with more than 2500 athletes, before they were cancelled by the previous CLP government in 2011 as it “(cost) too much to run”.
The Arafura Games began in 1991 as a basketball competition. From 2005 onwards, the Games included events for athletes with physical disabilities and the Games received patronage from the International Paralympic Committee in 2007.
Sports included in the Games are athletics, basketball, boxing, cricket, soccer, golf, hockey, lifesaving, muay thai, sepak takraw, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, tenpin bowling, triathlons, volleyball, weightlifting and water polo.
Mr Vowles said the Games would strengthen the Territory’s relationship with its Asia-Pacific trading partners.
The Games are held in Darwin biennially.