Arafura Games facts for kids

The Arafura Games was a big multi-sport event held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Athletes with disabilities competed in the same program as athletes without disabilities. Competitors from many countries came to Darwin for the week-long games, which happened every two years.

The games were known as a "meeting of Sporting Neighbours." They got their name from the Arafura Sea, which is located between northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Originally, countries near the Arafura Sea were the main participants. However, over time, countries from further away, like the United States, England, Brazil, and Liechtenstein, also joined in.

History of the Arafura Games

The Arafura Games started in 1991. At first, they were called the Arafura Sports Festival until 1997. Basketball was one of the first sports. It grew from a small local competition to an international event with teams from all over the world.

The games were also special because they were the first international sports festival to include Australian Rules Football. After the 1995 games, the International Australian Football Council was created to help promote this sport.

Challenges and Changes Over Time

The Arafura Games faced some challenges. The 2003 games were cancelled because of worries about the SARS virus. From 2005 onwards, the games began to include events for athletes with physical disabilities. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) even supported the 2007 Arafura Games.

In 2011, the Arafura Games hosted the Oceania Paralympic Championships for sports like athletics, swimming, powerlifting, and table tennis. This was a big step for including more athletes with disabilities.

Sadly, the 2013 Arafura Games were cancelled because they were considered too expensive to run. After an eight-year break, the games returned in 2019. However, the 2021 games were postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, it was announced that all future Arafura Games would be cancelled. This means the games are no longer taking place.

Edition	Year	Dates	Location	Country	Participants	Countries
I	1991		Darwin	Australia
II	1993		Darwin	Australia
III	1995		Darwin	Australia
IV	1997		Darwin	Australia
V	1999		Darwin	Australia
VI	2001	19–26 May	Darwin	Australia	3100	25
–	2003	cancelled	Darwin	Australia
VII	2005	14–21 May	Darwin	Australia
VIII	2007	12–19 May	Darwin	Australia
IX	2009	9–16 May	Darwin	Australia
X	2011	6–14 May	Darwin	Australia
–	2013	cancelled	Darwin	Australia
XI	2019	27 April–4 May	Darwin	Australia
	2021	postponed due to COVID-19	Darwin	Australia
	2023	Cancelled and all future events cancelled	Darwin	Australia

Basketball at the Games

Basketball games followed the rules set by the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA). They were played at the Darwin Basketball Stadium, which is part of the Marrara Sporting Complex.

In recent years, university teams from the USA often won the basketball competition. The Northern Territory team usually finished second, earning the Silver medal in four Arafura Games. For example, in the 2007 Arafura Games, the results were:

• Gold: United States of America: USA Colleges
• Silver: Northern Territory: Northern Territory
• Bronze: Australian Indigenous: Australian Indigenous

Sports Played at the Arafura Games

Many different sports were part of the Arafura Games. These included:

Other sports that were also played at the Arafura Games included:

• Netball
• Rugby Union

Countries and Regions That Participated

Many countries and regions from around the world sent athletes to the Arafura Games. They were grouped by their location: