New Zealand Team For Arafura Games

The twelve-strong Paralympics New Zealand team for the Arafura Games in Darwin 7-14 May, 2011 has been confirmed with athletes from the sports of athletics, swimming and table tennis.

The team includes javelin thrower, Rory McSweeney, who placed eighth at the IPC Athletics World Championships held in Christchurch earlier this year. There are several teenagers in the team such as swimmers Nikita Howarth and Jesse Reynolds from the Waikato who are 12 and 14 respectively. Mark Wilson (table tennis) is 15-years-old while athlete Richard Nelson Parker is 16.

Veteran table tennis compeitior John Marrable (Dunedin) has gone undefeated in table tennis singles competition in New Zealand over the past two years and is looking forward to his opportunity to take on the best within Oceania.

Since 1991, the Arafura Games has been held every two years in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Oceania Paralympic Championships were first incorporated into the Arafura Games in 2007. This competition provides a quality stepping stone for athletes as part of their journey to compete at the highest level.

**The Arafura Games are a week long multi-sport competition held every two years in Darwin. The Games are a major sporting event hosted and managed by the Northern Territory Government. In 1991, the first Games were known as the Arafura Sporting Festival. Twenty years later, the Arafura Games will be held from Saturday 7th May to Saturday 14th May 2011.

The Arafura Games targets developing athletes across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. In 2011, the Games will consist of 20 sports and for the third time, incorporate the Oceania Paralympic Championships. Having athletes with a disability compete in the same program as able-bodied athletes, is a unique and exciting feature of the Arafura Games.

Team:
Athletics
Rory McSweeney – Otago
Richard Nelson-Parker – Auckland

Swimming
Nikita Howarth – Waikato
Sarah Fuhrer – Waikato
Jesse Reynolds – Waikato

Table Tennis
Ayush Bhatnagar – Auckland
James Goulding – Auckland
Irimana Kingi – Auckland
John Marrable – Otago
Brian McLean – Auckland
Mark Wilson - Bay of Plenty
Patrick Witehira – Auckland

Team Manager
Lynda O’Cain - Team Manager
Paul Lothian - Athletics Coach
John Tuki - Table Tennis Coach
Josh South - Swimming Coach