International athletes bound for Auckland

Organisers are looking for 4000 Kiwi volunteers to help run the “biggest event in New Zealand for the next decade”.

The World Masters Games, which are set to be held in Auckland in April next year, will host 25,000 athletes competing in over 28 sports at 45 venues around the city.

The games are held every four years and are targeted at athletes of all ages and abilities, from amateurs to former elite athletes.

The event caters for twice as many athletes as the Summer Olympics and will require more than double the number of volunteers who helped at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which was held at stadiums around New Zealand.

Tim Dowson, general manager of Ceremonies and Events for the World Masters Games, spoke at the Auckland Council’s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel meeting last Wednesday and asked for advice on how to get more athletes and volunteers involved.

Mr Dowson expects a diverse turnout in terms of athletes, with “about 25 per cent of participants to be from Auckland, 25 per cent from the rest of New Zealand, 25 per cent from our neighbours in Australia and then 25 per cent from the rest of the world”.

Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel Liaison Councillor Denise Krum sees the event as a golden opportunity for the Auckland community.

Mrs Krum said she would take part as an athlete and encouraged other panellists to follow suit as either athletes or volunteers.

Several other panellists from different cultural backgrounds agreed to help raise awareness of the event through their respective networks and communities, including Auckland’s Indian community and Auckland Regional Migrant Services.

Mrs Krum has hopes for a varied representation of Aucklanders during the games, saying “wouldn’t it be good if the 25 per cent that represent Auckland athletes were very diverse, and if we can’t happen to manage that, then how about our volunteer base representing an Auckland front that is diverse, vibrant, connected and collaborative”.

The event will take place over a 10-day period starting on April 21 next year and will bring athletes from around the world to Auckland.

Mr Dowson expects athletes from over 100 different countries to attend.

The opening ceremony will be held at Eden Park and Mr Dowson hopes it will be an unforgettable experience for those involved.

“This moment on Friday, April 21 will be the first time that group will see themselves in their entirety – one group – and it will be a moment that they will never forget.”

The event will also provide participation opportunities for those not competing or outside of the age range requirements for registration.

Along with volunteering opportunities, free activities will be run over the 10 days at an undisclosed location on Auckland’s waterfront.