More than 180 Indigenous tertiary students from around Australia will arrive in Bathurst today for the start of the National Indigenous Tertiary Student Games tomorrow, Saturday 20 October, being hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU).

Thirteen teams representing 10 universities from WA, SA, NSW and ACT are participating in the two day event which features all mixed teams competing in four sports and two traditional games.

Volleyball, basketball, netball and touch football will be played alongside the traditional games of boondi throwing and spear throwing. The boondi, a length of stick with a large bulb at one end, was a throwing club used for hunting and battle.

CSU won the right to host the event, after winning last year’s games.

Administrator of Wammarra, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Centre on the CSU Bathurst Campus, Deidrie Naden, said the games were a major cultural event for Indigenous students.

“These days, sporting events attract Indigenous people from all over Australia. We think this is a big event, as more than 300 Indigenous people are coming to Bathurst for the games, which is more than half the total Indigenous population of Bathurst,” she said. 

The games will be officially opened tomorrow, Saturday 20 October, by Wiradjuri elder Gloria Rogers, during a ceremony commencing at 8.30am in the C D Blake Auditorium on the Bathurst Campus. 

The Balladooran Aboriginal Dancers from Gilgandra will also perform during the ceremony.

Immediately after the opening ceremony, Mrs Rogers will then open the Windradyne Garden, located at the Windradyne student residences on the Campus.

Spectators are welcome to enjoy the games, with competition on both days commencing at 9am. Saturday competition will run until 5.30pm and on Sunday until approximately 3pm.