Community
20 December, 2023
Master Games ‘credit to all’
THE sixth Great Barrier Reef Masters Games (GBRMG) injected $4.1 million into the region’s economy, the most since its inception in 2013.
It was held in Cairns in May, attracting more than 2360 participants across 17 sports and generated 15,189 visitor nights with competitors from every state in Australia and from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, India, Sweden, and USA.
A Cairns Regional Council spokesman said, along with competitive sports, the GBRMG included other events involving three social nights, a sportsperson’s dinner and three community sports clinics attended by 150 local school students.
“Significantly, the games resulted in almost $145,000 being distributed to participating community sporting associations and businesses,” he said.
“The Reef Restoration Fund received $1747 in donations from competitors.”
A council report said target pistol shooting recorded a 53 per cent increase in competitors and was held in two locations.
“Team sports such as netball and ambrose golf saw the greatest increase in international competitor numbers, with netball, softball and basketball also seeing an increase in interstate team participation,” it said.
“Swimming was down on participation numbers, due to a national masters’ swimming competition running two weeks prior to the GBRMG in Mackay.
“Trail and road running saw a significant drop in numbers with three major running events delivered before and after the GBRMG. Further consultation is planned for the 2025 GBRMG, via the governing bodies of each sporting association to mitigate other masters-aged event sporting clashes.”
Netball attracted the most competitors (394), followed by softball (366), basketball (210), and hockey (176).
Cr Rhona Coghlan (division 8) told a council meeting it was “an incredible event” and “an absolute credit to our staff and team to pull it off”.
Cr Brett Moller (division 1) said it was an opportunity to showcase the region’s sporting and recreational fields.
He said the cricket and softball at Walker Rd was “a hive of activity” and “the feedback was the venue was first class”.
The next GBRMG is scheduled for May 29 to June 1, 2025.
