Excitement Building at NZ Masters Games’ Village

MEDIA RELEASE 3 FEBRUARY 2011

Excitement Building at NZ Masters Games’ Village

New Zealand’s largest sporting event, the New Zealand Masters Games will begin tomorrow in Dunedin, with more than 6000 competitors registered in one or more of the 70 different sporting events. There’s an air of excitement amongst competitors as they register at the Games Village which has been set up this year in the Forsyth Barr Stadium adding another level of interest at the Games. Games Manager, Aaron Joy, says people coming into register are in awe of the Stadium.

“Ever since we announced the Games Village would be at the new Stadium the interest has been extremely high.”

Traditionally the largest age group of competitors is those aged between 40- 60 yrs, but this year there has been a 30% increase in the number of competitors over the age of 70 with a total of 450 registered.

A 93 year old golfer is the oldest competitor at the Games. Ivan Elder from Southland is hoping to complete 18 holes in a score that comes in under his age. At 80 years old, Red Maddock, from Christchurch is the oldest entrant in the half marathon road race and 85 year old Alistair Mackay from Invercargill leads the age stakes in Track and Field competing in High Jump, Long Jump, Discus, Shot Put and 100metres. Alistair is also competing in many swimming events.

The most popular sport is Netball with 87 teams in the competition playing eight games each over three days. The oldest player is Monica Dolan 64yrs, playing for the ‘Tau Tau Tarts’. There’s also a team from Tasmania and one from Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan team are all workmates from the Inland Revenue Department in Sri Lanka.

Soccer is also hugely popular with 57 teams at the Masters Games. The finals of all competitive grades will be played in the Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The total number of competitors from Christchurch is down by half this year but those who are coming are well represented across most sports including Netball where the Liquifaction Ladies are one of nine teams from Canterbury.

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There are more than 220 international competitors from 12 different countries. Ice figure skating is expecting to see some of the highest level of ice dancing ever to be seen in New Zealand having attracted skaters from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Finland, USA and Australia.

Competition begins tomorrow and the official Opening Ceremony will be held tomorrow night at the Forsyth Barr Stadium. A feature of the Opening Ceremony will be the NZ Army Band which will lead competitors into the Stadium.

Aaron Joy says, “The next ten days will be massive. There will be inspirational performances, new records set, personal triumphs, but most of all there will be new friendships made and a huge amount of fun enjoyed by all at the Masters Games.

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