Kiwis Are World Class Masters Games Supporters

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 29 January 2009

 
New Zealanders are the world’s greatest Masters Games supporters

As the New Zealand Masters Games celebrate their 20th birthday in Wanganui this week, organisers of the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games are calling upon Kiwis to maintain their position as the multi-sport event’s greatest international supporters.

Per capita, New Zealand has been the best represented non-host nation at each of the six previous World Masters Games, with nearly 300 New Zealanders making the 25,000-kilometre round trip to compete at the 2005 event in Edmonton, Canada.

Already 400 Kiwis have registered for the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games. With a Games delegation promoting the event at this week’s New Zealand Masters Games, NSW Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay is projecting that three times that number will end up crossing the Tasman Sea for the 10-18 October event.

“New Zealanders love visiting New South Wales as much as they love attending World Masters Games so we’re expecting a bumper Kiwi contingent at the largest multi-sport event ever,” Ms McKay said.

“More than 360,000 New Zealanders visited New South Wales last year. It is our second largest international tourist market.”

Ms McKay said with Trans-Tasman airfares at their lowest in 20 years, now is a perfect time for Kiwi competitors and visitors to book flights for the Sydney Masters Games.

“Hopefully, the Games, which represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyday people to have an Olympic-style experience, will entice even more Kiwis to visit NSW this year.”

Like the 2009 New Zealand Masters Games in Wanganui, the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney are open to everyone rather than just elite athletes and will run over nine days. But only Sydney has the legacy of Olympic competition venues.

“The Sydney 2009 World Masters Games have a unique appeal because 12 of the 28 sports competitions will take place at outstanding Olympic sites,” Ms McKay said.

“If you’ve ever dreamt of competing at a major international sport event register for the Games in Sydney and fulfil one of your greatest ambitions at the same time as visiting the state to which New Zealanders flock in their hundreds of thousands.”

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