Let’s roll out red carpet for young NZ athletes

The Zespri Aims Games will make its triumphant return to the Bay of Plenty in a little over two months’ time — and we should be rolling out the red carpet.

After a two-year Covid hiatus, the return of the intermediate-aged sports tournament will see

Tauranga buzzing with excitement.

Nearly 11,000 entries from 323 NZ schools have registered for the September 3 to 9 tournament.

Local businesses will have no doubt noticed the absence of the games in the past two years.

The arrival of a whole new generation of young athletes will be a welcome boost not only for tourism but for the economy.

The 2019 tournament drew more than 25,000 athletes, supporters and officials, injecting nearly $6.5 million into regional coffers and contributing 74,787 visitor nights over the week.

But will any international teams grace our sporting stage this year?

Tonga’s swimming team — dubbed Pool Runnings after the

1988 Winter Olympics Jamaican bobsleigh team that inspired the film Cool Runnings — were the ones to watch in the last two games.

The team made headlines at the 2018 games after winning the ACC Sport Smart medal for the most spirited, fair-playing and respectful team.

In 2017, I was lucky enough to travel with the Tongan badminton team to one of their games.

The players, coaches, managers and parents were piling into two shuttle buses before 7am and stayed in Tauranga until the last player was finished in the evening.

So much dedication to the games, and so humble, too.

But as well as the memories and camaraderie it creates, the games are also an important part of Tauranga’s identity.

Its popularity has seen the number of attendees and sporting codes grow each year.

This year will see the introduction of indoor cricket. More than 170 players have registered. Rock climbing, swimming, and tennis have also had the biggestever fields.

As well as first in sporting fields, many pupils will be experiencing their first-ever Aims Games.

Sporting tournaments like these have hugely positive impacts on young people. As well as fostering a love of sport, it also promotes getting active and staying healthy during a pandemic.

It also builds connections between children and inspires a little bit of friendly competition.

I feel for the pupils who have missed out on competing in the past two years. But hopefully, some will have the chance to embrace the games.

The return of the AIMS Games will make for a memorable week.