Arafura Games facts for kids

The Arafura Games is a big sports event. It's special because athletes with disabilities compete alongside athletes who don't have disabilities. Sports stars from all over the world come to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, for these games. They last about a week and happen every two years.

The games are called a "meeting of Sporting Neighbours." They get their name from the Arafura Sea, which is a sea between northern Australia and Southeast Asia. At first, only countries near the Arafura Sea joined. But now, countries from far away like the United States, England, Brazil, and Liechtenstein also take part.

History of the Games

The Arafura Games first started in 1991. Back then, basketball was one of the main sports. It grew from a small competition with four local teams to an international event with eight teams from around the world. Until 1997, the games were known as the Arafura Sports Festival.

These games were the first international sports festival to include Australian Rules Football as a main competition. After the 1995 games, the International Australian Football Council was created. It helped promote Aussie Rules football until 2001.

Changes and Cancellations

The Arafura Games were cancelled in 2003 because of worries about the SARS virus. Starting in 2005, the games began to include events for athletes with physical disabilities. The 2007 Arafura Games even got support from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

In 2011, the Arafura Games included the Oceania Paralympic Championships. This meant that sports like athletics, swimming, powerlifting, and table tennis were part of the Paralympic events.

The 2013 Arafura Games were cancelled. A new government decided it cost too much money to run. After eight years, the games returned in 2019. They took place from April 27 to May 4, 2019.

The games planned for 2021 were put off until 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was later announced that all future Arafura Games would be stopped.

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

In recent years, university teams from the USA have been very strong in the basketball competition. The team from the Northern Territory has often come in second place. They have won the Silver medal in the last four Arafura Games.

Here are the basketball results from the 2007 Arafura Games:

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

Sports Played

Many different sports are part of the Arafura Games. Some of them also include special events for Paralympic athletes.

Another sport played at the Arafura Games is:

• Netball

Participating Countries

Many countries and regions from around the world send athletes to the Arafura Games.