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Arafura Games
TheArafura Games
is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city
ofDarwin, inthe Northern Territory. It is an international event
which draws its competitors from around the
world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009,
involved over 30 nations and
over 3,000 athletes. From 2005, it will include events for
athletes with physical disabilities. The
2007 Arafura Games received patronage from the International
Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Called a "meeting of Sporting Neighbours", the Arafura Games
takes its name from the Arafura
Sea, which lies between northern Australia and Southeast Asia.
The nations that are based
around the Arafura Sea originally formed the basis of the
Arafura Games, however in recent
years countries from further afield have participated, including
USA, England, Brazil and
Liechtenstein. The Games were known as the Arafura Sports
Festival up until 1997.
The Arafura Games were cancelled in 2003 due to concern over the
SARS virus.
These Games were the first ever international sporting festival
to have Australian Rules Football
as an international competition sport in its own right. The
International Australian Football
Council was formed after the 1995 Games, playing an important
role in promoting Aussie Rules
until dissolving in 2001.
Basketball
Basketball is a foundation sport of the Arafura Games, starting
back in 1991 basketball hasgrown from a 4 team competition with
teams from around the Darwin region to an 8 team
international competition with teams from all over the
world.
Basketball is played at the Darwin Basketball Stadium, Abala
Road Marrara, in the Marrara
Sporting Complex.
The basketball competition is conducted under Federation of
International Basketball
Associations (FIBA) conditions and Guidelines.
In recent years the USA squad of players from University teams
around the United States of
America have dominated the competition in terms of winning the
Gold medal. The Northern
Territory team have been shaded in the last 4 Arafura games by
the Americans and only their
depth on the bench has let them down. The Northern Territory
have won the Silver medal in
the past 4 Arafura games.
2007 Arafura Games Basketball results: Arafura Games 2007
