Australia bent on revamping athletics, Perth to host World athletics event in 2012 – Athletics news
With the aim to successfully kick-off the Australian Athletics Tour and to promote athletics at grassroots level in Australia, besides highlighting the importance of the sport in lending a helping hand to the suffering economy of the country, sporting authorities
in Australia have decided to organize a one-day World Athletics event in Perth next year.
The said event, to commence at the WA Athletics Stadium in February next year, will invite about 20 international athletes to compete on the Perth Track Classic. While among locals, the most notable players will comprise of Steve Hooker and Alana Boyd.
Besides the sports and athletics bodies of the country, the world athletics event in Perth is also fully supported and endorsed by the Minister for Tourism, Kim Hames, who, while pledging full support for the athletics contest, said that through its Eventscorp
programme, the State Government will support the event for three years.
With the commencement of the Perth challenge, the city will have its first chance, after 1996, when Linford Christie, the British Olympic gold medallist appeared on its track, to see world leading athletes coming to the city for a heated-up showdown. This
will certainly provide a reason for local, as well as international spectators to convene in for not missing out the well organised athletics extravaganza in the Australian city.
Besides this heated event, the city has also planned to organise the Australian Junior Athletics Championships further one year down the line and in 2016, it will observe the commencement of the World Masters Athletics Championships. Providing details about
the usefulness of the junior championships for young local athletes, Dr. Hames said, “The junior championships attract the best athletes from the under 14, 16, 18 and 20 age groups and has become a must for any junior athlete who wants to go on to represent
Australia.”
The Minister for Tourism was of the view that besides promoting a healthy activity among youngsters, the athletics event will also stimulate the local economy by injecting an estimated amount of $10 million into it. He said, “The Perth Track Classic and
Junior Championships will see thousands of athletes and spectators visit WA, potentially injecting $10 million into the State’s economy.”
Besides athletics, another major sport attracting spectators worldwide will be the Broome’s Cable Beach, which are the Outdoor International Basketball Championships kicking-off next month. Perth Wildcats, the local team, along with three other international
teams will show up at the Kimberley stars to contest for the crown. Other three teams to compete are Shanghai Sharks, Indonesian National team and the Singapore Slingers.
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