Greater City of Bendigo to host Commonwealth Youth Games in 2004

Thursday 17 January 2002

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) announced this week that Bendigo, Victoria will host the second Commonwealth Youth Games from 29 November - 4 December 2004.

In announcing Bendigo as host, ACGA President Sam Coffa joined with the Acting Victorian Premier, John Thwaites and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Justin Maddin in saying: "Bendigo is a natural choice for the Commonwealth Youth Games and will provide an outstanding location for Australian and other young athletes from Commonwealth countries to compete and perform in a friendly and safe environment.

"Bendigo was chosen as one of Victoria's major regional centers, located only 150km north west of Melbourne, host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The City of Greater Bendigo boasts excellent sporting facilities and has a long tradition of supporting sporting events.

"We anticipate great support from the Victorian government as well as the people of Bendigo. This event will be world class, showcasing some of the world's best up and coming athletes", explains Sam Coffa.

"Up to 1,000 athletes aged 18 years and under, plus 200 team personnel from 20 Commonwealth countries will compete at the event. The draft sports program includes 12 possible sports, of which swimming and track and field are mandatory. Other sports include badminton, basketball, cycling, lawn bowls, netball, squash, table tennis, tenpin bowling, triathlon and weightlifting," confirmed Sam Coffa.

At the inaugural 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games staged in Edinburgh, the Scottish Team won 3 gold, 7 silver and 22 bronze medals to finish fourth on the medal table behind England, Australia and South Africa respectively. It is hoped that a number of Scotland's medal winners in Edinburgh will be selected for the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team at this year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester (25 July - 4 August) including gold medalist, Gayle Campbell, and gymnastics and silver medalist swimmer Kirsty Balfour.

Hearing the announcement, Louise Martin, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland said: "We are delighted that the concept of a Commonwealth Youth Games which we developed here in Scotland has been adopted and endorsed by one of the world's leading sporting nations. This in itself is testament to our convictions that there was a need for this junior level multi-sport event. Scotland looks forward to taking its next crop of talented youngsters to Australia in 2004."