Media Daily Wrap 15th May 2009

Fri, May 15 2009

Here is today’s media wrap up. To find out more about the stories highlighted, please contact Gail Liston in the Media Centre at the Arafura Games Administration Office.

• In Golf today the Peter Thompson Trophy for the best golfer at the Arafura Games was awarded to Justin Roach. Justin won the Men’s Championship with 286 over Greg Fraser on 296 and Stephen Spiers on 296. The Women’s Championship went to Bree Arthur with 292 ahead of South Australia’s Ebony Heard, who was favourite coming into the event, with 301 and the overnight leader Ashlee Dewhurst on 303. The ladies course record was broken today by Bree Arthur who shot 68 off the stick. The previous record was 78 set at the Arafura Games in 1997 by a girl from Chinese Taipei. The Men’s Teams went to the Australian Team on 886, Australian Defence Organisation on 900 and the Northern Territory on 904. The Women’s Teams was won by Australia on 896 followed by the Northern Territory on 976 and a very excited team of women from Papua New Guinea on 1057.
   
• Saturday morning the streets of Darwin will take on the feel of the Tour de France as the cyclists in the Criterium vie for gold, silver and bronze medals as they race on a one kilometre circuit around Parliament House taking the riders on continuous laps around Smith, Bennett and Herbert Streets and the Esplanade then back to Smith Street. The Elite Women cycle off at 9:00am and the men at 10:00am. This is fast-paced cycle race that is spectator friendly as there is so much happening as the competitors constantly try to break free from the pack to establish a lead and win.
   
• On Sunday Cycling returns to Hidden Valley for the last event – the Road Race. Utilising Hidden Valley and sections of Tiger Brennan Drive, which will be closed for the event, riders will complete a 20km road circuit. The elite women will start the race at 6:30am and compete over 80km. The elite men and the U19’s commence their race at 9:30am and will cover 120km. To watch the road race the public will need to enter Hidden Valley via the intersection of Berrimah Road and Tiger Brennan intersection and then into the Mud racing entrance to Hidden Valley Pit Area.
   
• In Weightlifting on Friday Samoa’s Ele Opeloge broke the Oceania and Commonwealth weightlifting record when she lifted 123kg in the Women’s 75kg+ snatch and 154kg in the clean and jerk for total of 154kg. The previous record was 151kg. Aptly she was named the female lifter of the Game. There were no surprises that the nod for the best male lifter of the Games went to Yukio Peter from Nauru who defeated his arch rival Fijian Josefa Vueti in the 77kg division.
   
• Play in the gold medal round of the Men’s and Women’s Individual competitions start at the Darwin Squash Centre at 5:00pm Saturday when Northern Territory teen Charmaine Mills take on the biggest challenge of her young life when she plays Caroline Quach of New Caledonia.
   
• The medal rounds of the Men’s Indoor Volleyball start at 8:30am when Singapore Police battles Macau for the bronze medal. The gold medal playoff starts at 12:30pm. The Women’s Indoor Volleyball bronze medal round is between the Australian Defence Organisation and South Australia at 10:30am with the gold medal round at 2:30pm between Australian Junior Women and Macau.
   
• The Men’s Beach Volleyball bronze medal match starts at 5:30pm between Timor Leste 2 and Northern Territory. The gold medal round gets underway at 7:30pm. The draw had not been finalised at the time of printing.
   
• Basketball action gets going at 1:00pm Saturday with the Women’s bronze medal round between New Caledonia and the Northern Territory U16 side. At 3:00pm the Men’s bronze medal round starts between the Australian Defence Organisation and Southern Cross Stars. The match to decide the Women’s gold and silver medals is at 6:00pm between the Northern Territory and the Australian Defence Organisation. The last basketball match of the Arafura Games will be the gold medal round between Cairns and the Northern Territory, and what a game this will be.
   
• Football playoffs for gold, silver and bronze medals starts at 1:30pm with the Women’s bronze medal game between Northern Territory and FICA Women. The Men’s bronze medal clash is at 3:30pm between Northern Territory Boys U18 and Macau. The Australian Defence Organisation takes on PNG at 5:30pm for the gold medal and Aceh meets Timor at 7:30pm for the Men’s gold medal game.
   
• The Men’s Hockey finals start at 1:00pm with Port Moresby meeting the Northern Territory Men’s Open team. Then at 7:00pm Singapore Police and Northern Territory Men’s U18 side battle for the gold. The women take to the field at 3:00pm to decide the bronze medal and at 5:00pm to decide the gold. At the time of publication the draw had not been determined.
   
• The last of the rounds of the Lawn Bowls Men’s and Women’s matches start at 9:00am Saturday at both Palmerston and Nightcliff Golf Clubs.
   
• Members of the media can access results for all events on played on Monday 11 May on the Arafura Games website at www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au Click on Sports and Results, then select the sport and follow the prompts.

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

Gail Liston, Media Information – (08) 8920 5536 or 0407 207 335.