Pan Pacific Masters Games History

The first Masters Games event was the World Masters Games held in 1985 in Canada which attracted 8,305 competitors from 61 different countries. Following this, national events began to surface. The first Australian Masters Games was held in 1987 and New Zealand Masters Games in Wanganui in 1989. The 1994 World Masters Games held in Brisbane attracted 24,000 competitors from 71 countries. Following the success of the Worlds in Brisbane, the Queensland Masters Games began on the Gold Coast in 1996.

It underwent a transformation in 1998 to become the larger Asia Pacific Masters Games and then renamed to Pan Pacific Masters Games in 2002 with increased interest from Asia, Japan, America, Oceania and New Zealand. In the most recent edition in 2008, there were nearly 10,000 participants from 16 countries and every Australian state and territory including remote locations like Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsular in the Northern Territory.

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There were great acts of sportsmanship like in the 10,000m at the Athletics where Andrew Clowes sacrificed his own performance to guide blind runner Damien Williams to the finish after Damien’s guide had to pull out mid-race.

A host of personalities were seen among the competitors or guests at the sports including Queensland rugby league origin great Kevin Campion; former Wallabies Andrew Walker, Elton Flatley and Garrick Morgan; Australian squash legend Brett Martin; former and current basketball stars Andre Moore, Pero Cameron, and Dave Claxton; and former Australian Test cricketer Richie Robinson.

The Games Village was pumping each night in 2008 with thousands of participants enjoying the entertainment and hospitality. Daryl Braithwaite performed his hits as the headline act on one night, Olympic Hockeyroo Nikki Hudson joined a panel of comedians for Comedy Night and former pole vault star Tatiana Grigorieva was a popular Ambassador at the Opening Ceremony.

Source: www.mastersgames.com.au

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