Countdown to the 2013 Australian University Games

In just four weeks time, over 7,500 participants from 41 universities across the nation will arrive on the Gold Coast to take part in the largest annual multisport event - the Australian University Games (AUG).

Taking place from 28th September to 4th October, the seven-day program features 31 sports played at 39 sporting facilities across the length and breadth of the Gold Coast. The first day of sport kicks off on Saturday with the kendo and taekwondo competitions getting underway and then on Sunday the one day judo competition will take place.

The Games will then be officially opened in the evening of Sunday 29th September with the Opening Ceremony to be held on the iconic Surfers Paradise beach. This is the first time that a fully licenced music festival style event has been held on the beach. The headline act renowned Aussie DJ duo, Hermitude, are set to light up the stage and treat the students to a once in a lifetime event to kick off their massive week of sport on the Gold Coast.

Reigning champions, The University of Melbourne, will once again meet fierce competition from The University of Sydney and the University of Western Australia, both of whom were crowned as Overall University Champions in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

Monash University are also usually amongst the contenders for the overall trophy, but Griffith University, who are the host university for the Games, will be looking to field a strong team and give the interstate teams a run for their money.

Often referred to as the 'spiritual home' of the AUG, the Gold Coast has played host to this event every second year since 2007 thanks to the support of the Queensland Government which is a major event partner through Tourism and Events Queensland.

Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey said she was delighted to welcome the event back to Queensland and highlighted the intrinsic link between sporting events and tourism for a destination like the Gold Coast, especially as the city prepares for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Minister Stuckey explained "supporting major events like the Australian University Games forms part of our goal to double annual overnight visitor expenditure from $15 billion to $30 billion by 2020."

Australian University Sport (AUS) Chief Executive Don Knapp, a local Gold Coast resident himself, reflected on the role that this event plays in the life of a student athlete in relation to their overall health and well being.

Knapp added "AUS exists to provide university students with access to opportunities to participate in sport in the hope that the experiences they have on the sporting field will assist them to develop a 'healthy body healthy mind' connection.

"We also know that they develop meaningful relationships with their peers and hone their leadership and communication skills through sport and set themselves up for successful endeavours long after the event is over and they have graduated with their degrees."

The 2013 Australian University Snow Sport Championships have also just been completed, having run from Sunday 25th August and will go through to Friday 30th August.

These championships, held at Thredbo Ski Resort, were the biggest ever in the history of the event with close to 340 participants from 19 universities.

For more information go to www.unisport.com.au

30th September 2012 - 2012 EVENT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY GAMES