Macau Athletes Ready for Action at Arafura Games

Fri, May 08 2009

Athletes from Chinese Macau arrived in force in Darwin, Australia, yesterday with one aim in mind – to win a bundle of medals.

Arafura Games mascot Rocky the Rock Wallaby was on hand to welcome the 147 sportsmen and women when their chartered flight touched down at Darwin International Airport.

Team secretary Bernadino Lo said the athletes were excited about the prospects of good competition at the Games, which start on Saturday 9 May, and had an 18-year tradition of attending the Arafura Games

“I think it’s the atmosphere and the friendly hospitality, as well as the opportunity to compete against other countries,” he said. “We feel that every single year we come to the Arafura Games we are improving.”

Macau will compete in a range of sports, including badminton, basketball, tenpin bowling, soccer, gold, squash, table tennis, shooting, triathlon and volleyball. Mr Lo said most of the most of the competitors were part-time athletes juggling their studies or working lives and their sporting pursuits. Some of the athletes are as young as 15 years of age.

“We think we have a good chance to sine medals in badminton, table tennis, tennis and triathlon,” he said. “They will do their best and we are hoping to improve out rankings in various sports.”

Macau starts competing on Friday 8 May in Tenpin Bowling competition, which gets underway at 10am with Macau taking on New South Wales, Northern Territory, Sarawak and the Australian Defence Force.

For more information go to www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au.

Gail Liston +61 8 8920 5536 or +61 407 207 335.