Biggest ever Australian University Games gets underway

The largest ever event in the 21 year history of the Australian University Games is underway on the Gold Coast with over 8,000 student athletes from 41 tertiary institutions across Australia will taking part in five days of sport competition in a bid to be crowned Overall University Champions for 2013.

Being held at 39 sporting facilities across the length and breadth of the Gold Coast between Saturday 28th September to Friday 4th October, the Games are 21 years old this year, with organisers Australian University Sport seeing that it is fitting that the event celebrates its coming of age by notching up the largest number of participants in the history of the event.

With more than 100,000 students having competed since its inception in 1993, Australian University Sport estimates the economic impact for the host city through increased tourism dollars will exceed $12 million of direct expenditure, with around 8,000 of the event participants coming from more than 35 interstate universities.

Students from the far north of the country to the far west are travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in 31 sports on offer during the Games. Preparations for Australia's largest multi sport event have been underway for months and Australian University Games (AUG) Project Manager Donna Spethman said she is looking forward to another big week of sport and fun in her home town.

Spethman explains "it's been months of hard work to prepare for the Games, and with the support of event partners like Tourism Events Queensland, the City of Gold Coast and an army of volunteers we are prepared and ready to welcome a record number of students for a fantastic event on the Gold Coast."

Sporting competition officially began on Saturday with the martial arts sport competition getting underway and the remainder of the 31 sports starting today (Monday 30th September).

Members of the public are invited to watch all sports for free. Event information and sport schedules can be found at www.unigames.com.au/events

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