State pride and school honour will be on the line in December when the nation’s top school-aged sports stars head to Western Australia to compete in two top-level athletic competitions.
The Australian All Schools Championship (All Schools), which will be held from December 6-8, is a three-day festival of athletic events with individual performances combined to see one Australian State or Territory named the best in Australia.
The event is followed closely by the National Nitro Schools Challenge Final (NNSCF), which encourages schools to participate and perform as a team on December 9.
Athletics Western Australia will host the events, with support from the State Government, through Tourism Western Australia.
Both events will be held in Perth at the Western Australia Athletics Stadium (WAAS).
The All Schools is open to students in age categories of under-14, under-16 and under-18. It includes short and long-distance races as well as long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus, hammer throw, pole vault, steeplechase and hurdles.
The All Schools provides athletes with an opportunity to qualify for the IAAF World Junior Championships as well as exposing them to an international standard of competition.
Athletics Western Australia will also extend an invitation to approximately 200 international competitors for the All Schools event, with students from China, Fiji, Macau, New Caledonia and New Zealand expected to take part.
The NNSCF consists of junior, intermediate and senior levels of competition for both males and females. The most successful team over the event claims the title of ‘Best Athletic School in Australia’ for each division. The first and second-placed teams from the State-based Nitro competitions are invited to compete in the NNSCF.
The All Schools and NNSCF are expected to attract 2,350 visitors from outside the State, with around 1,750 being direct competitors, support staff and officials.
About 1,200 local spectators are expected to attend the events.
As stated by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:
“We are looking forward to Western Australia’s school sports stars doing the State proud in these competitions.
“Events are an important part of the State Government’s plans to attract more visitors to Western Australia and encourage them to spend more and stay longer.
“More than 20,000 people currently participate in junior athletics events in Australia each year.
“Hosting these two competitions gives us a selling point to tap into this market and encourages more sport-lovers to visit Western Australia.”
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
“Australia is second to none when it comes to providing school-based sport opportunities for students as part of their day-to-day curriculum.
“Much of our success as a sporting nation can be traced back to our focus on encouraging all students to have a go at a range of sports at school from a young age.
“We are particularly pleased to also welcome a number of international competitors to WA. The State Government has recently launched its Asian Sport Strategy to build greater ties with our northern neighbours, and we can’t wait to have some of the world’s best school-age kids competing here in WA.”
