AROUND 2,000 athletes will converge on Cairns this weekend for the biennial North Queensland Games.
An official opening ceremony will take place at Fogarty Park on Friday night before participants compete across 24 traditional and non-traditional sports, with competition finishing on Monday 6 May.
An expected 12,000 people will attend, with close to 5,700 travelling specifically for the Games.
The event will provide an estimated $3 million boost for the local economy with 18,500 direct visitor nights.
Boxer and North Queensland Games Ambassador Leah Rueben is excited for the Games to begin.
“This event offers a fantastic opportunity for athletes to test themselves against quality opposition within a genuine multi-sport Games atmosphere,” she said.
“Bringing the North Queensland community together also allows us to get to know other athletes on a personal level and forge long lasting friendships.”
The Queensland Government is sponsoring the event with $150,000 through the Department of Tourism and Sport and a further $10,000 through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Destination Events Program.
During the Games, the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) will also be engaging with the community as part of its Youfor2032 talent identification program, while the QAS’ Coach Development Team will be on hand to offer advice to local coaches.
Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Healy said the Games are a wonderful opportunity to showcase Cairns as a destination and the region’s resilience.
“The fact that Cairns is hosting one of Australia’s largest regional events, in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the floods that followed, is testament to the strength and determination of the North Queensland community,” he said.
“This is a celebration of both the region’s extraordinary sporting talent and its spirit, and no doubt will bring the wider community together.
“The region has produced some of Australia’s finest athletes, and many competing here will have their sights set on representing their country in front of family and friends at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in eight years’ time.”
The 2024 North Queensland Games is the 20th edition of the event and marks the 40thanniversary since the inaugural Games in Townsville in 1984.
Keep up with the latest news in Cairns and the Far North, and check out some of our top stories this week: Cardzilla C2K bike ride approaches and Gunawuna Jungai granted Justice Reinvestment funding.
