Competing and connecting

Student Jasmine Sarin is one of this year's participants in the National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games, being hosted by the University of Wollongong.

TEAMS of indigenous students have travelled from far and wide to compete in the National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games this week at the University of Wollongong.

This is the 12th year that the annual games have run but the first time Wollongong has hosted the event.

As a much a social event as a sporting challenge, the games bring together teams to compete against each other in a range of sports.

The same team from each university will have to compete in volleyball, touch football, netball and basketball as well as a local indigenous game for a chance at winning a Gold Medal.

Commerce student and one of the key organisers of this year's event, Mitchell Thompson has competed in the last three Indigenous Games, and said the event is really aimed at building relationships between indigenous students.

“The purpose of it is to give students a networking opportunity with other indigenous students,” he said.

Mr Thompson said the semi-competitive nature of the competition makes for a good, fun competition.

He estimated that there were about 120 indigenous students studying at the University of Wollongong, and said that, with Wollongong hosting the games, so many participants signed up that two teams of local students had to be formed.

Mr Thompson said he was confident the home side would win.

“For the last two years we've finished third, this year we'll finish first,” he said.

“We have a pretty strong team this year.”

Final-year Indigenous Health student Jasmine Sarin will be competing in the games this year for the third time.

Ms Sarin and Mr Thompson praised the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre, at the university, which acts as a hub for indigenous students studying there.

Ms Sarin said those who had been part of the games in previous years didn't hesitate to volunteer again in 2007.

She said relations between indigenous students on campus at Wollongong were very good.

“We're all like a big family,” she said.

The National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games began on Wednesday, September 26 and will continue until Friday, September 28.