11.03.2009

OAA to call Gold Coast home

The Gold Coast’s reputation as a high performance sporting precinct has been bolstered with the announcement by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that the OAA will base its operations in the city in 2009.

Gold Coast City Council Director of Economic Development, Darren Scott, said the relocation of the OAA was a major coup for the Gold Coast and its rapidly growing sports industry.

“The sporting industry is gaining unprecedented momentum in the city, with the Gold Coast set to host national teams across all the major sporting codes,” he said.

“The relocation of the Oceania Athletics Association is just another indication of the emergence of sport as a significant driver of our local economy, and is testament to many years of hard work by Council and our partners to build a dynamic sporting industry on the Gold Coast.”

Chair of the Gold Coast Sports Business Taskforce, Nick Pye, said the announcement was many years in the making and a huge windfall for the city.

“To have the Oceania Athletics Association headquartered on the Gold Coast is nothing short of an incredible achievement,” he said.

“It is another endorsement of this city as a high performance centre for elite athletes and a potential training base for national and international teams.”

OAA Executive Director, Yvonne Mullins, said the Gold Coast was selected for its vibrant sporting community, great facilities and accessible location.

“There were a number of positive reasons influencing our decision to choose the Gold Coast. Some of the best athletes and sporting teams in Australia are already based on the Coast, including Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan,” she said.

“The sporting facilities available are first-class, the Gold Coast Athletics Club is the best in Australia. We’ll also be working closely with Griffith University and the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre.”

The decision will enable the OAA to merge their administration, regional development centre and high performance centre in one location, after previously having centres based in Auckland, Brisbane and Townsville.

As part of the agreement, Griffith University will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the OAA, which will create many opportunities for both athletes and students.

“This partnership will enable the education and development of athletes and coaches, provide high performance sport science support for physiological testing and technique assessment as well as enabling access to the specialist clinical services through the University’s new Sports and Exercise Medicine Centre,” Head of the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Peter Milburn, said.

The OAA has confirmed that athletes from 15 countries will converge on the Gold Coast in August to compete in the Melanesian Championships, Polynesian Championships and Grand Prix, three major regional athletics events to be run concurrently.

“This is an important competition as it will be held prior to the World Championships in Berlin,” Mullins said.

A junior training camp will also be staged during the competition period.

The Oceania Athletics Association is made up of 20 member federations and two associate member federations throughout the Pacific region. The association provides administration support of the athletics program, coaches and officials, as well as organising competitions and training camps.

For further information on the Oceania Athletics Association, click here.