2 June 2023

Records set as AIMS athletes flood back

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September's Zespri AIMS Games is destined to be a record-breaker, with 11,733 competitors set to take
part in Tauranga's week-long Intermediate-aged sporting showcase.

With 373 schools having registered when entries closed on Wednesday night, the tournament has
rebounded to pre-Covid levels, and beyond.

The previous yardstick - in 2019 - saw 361 schools enter and 11,400 athletes attend but a late flurry has
both astonished and delighted tournament director Kelly Schischka.

"This time last week, things were relatively mellow but schools used every second of the 11.59pm deadline
on Wednesday and our entrants have just exploded," she said. "We're utterly delighted that so many
impressionable rangitahi will be able to create lifelong memories during this year's tournament."

The tournament, which runs from September 2-8 across a range of venues across the Western Bay of
Plenty, has also attracted back international competitors for the first time since 2019, with two badminton
players from Saint Peter Chanel Community Primary School in Samoa joining tennis and badminton players
from the Cook Islands, as well as a rugby sevens team from Gospel Primary in Fiji.

The 2019 tournament drew more than 25,000 athletes, supporters and officials to Tauranga, injecting
nearly $6.5million into regional coffers, and contributing 74,787 visitor nights over the week.

There are record entries across a range of codes this year, with basketball in particular exploding - 1583
players are registered, including 155 playing the 3x3 version. There are 1832 players across football and
futsal, 1248 hockey players and a massive increase in mountain biking entries, up to 468.

For the first time, Rip Rugby entries (588 players) have overtaken boys' rugby sevens (540), with 1272
players across all grades, while the netball courts will again be heaving, with 1740 players registered.

As well as the international schools, there are 21 schools from Northland entered, including three schools
from Kaitaia and basketball and netball teams from Taipa Area School, the northernmost school, while
Southland will be represented by Aparima College in Riverton and Invercargill's Menzies College and
Southland Girls' High School.

The tournament is in its 20th year, after starting with 750 competitors in 2004, although this year will be
the 18th edition because of the two years lost to Covid-19. It's also a flagship event for Tauranga City
Council.

Jamie Troughton
jamie@dscribe.co.nz
027 274 3559
www.dscribe.co.nz