To the Committee Secretariat
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NT Badminton Association Inc written submission on `Bringing Back the Arafura Games’
Executive Summary 2
Questions of the Committee: 4
Badminton – past and current 5
Common Discussion Points 6
Sporting Objective 7
Discussion Points 8
Economic Objective 11
Discussion Points 11
Arts and Community Engagement Objective 11
Discussion Points 12
Tourism Objective 12
Discussion Points 12
Please note: The blue paragraphs in the body of the document seek to answer the template questions posed in black font.
Simon Harvey, President, NT Badminton Association Inc
www.ntbadminton.org.au
Phone: 0468 744 278
GPO Box 4413 DARWIN NT 0801
21 Albatross Street, WINNELLIE, NT 0820
0428 372 982
Bringing Back the Arafura Games – NT Badminton Association Inc Feedback
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Executive Summary
The NTBA wants the Arafura Games to succeed and wants to be a part of the 2019 Games and will strive for success beyond that.
We have provided some history about our sport and its huge following in Asia and India. We have also taken the opportunity to attach the 2011 Application but note that the scope for that was a lot smaller and postured around 7 teams of four persons each.
We include this link to the 2015-16 Badminton Australia Annual Report[1] that showcases the movement and activity of our sport in Australia. It is requested that you check that link and search for key words such as “Sudirman Cup”, “Para-Badminton” and “Super Series”. You might also spot the NT’s Elysia Viravong on page 33 and note the distinctive architecture and fit-out pictured in some of the photographs included in that report.
This submission is larger than sought, as we have to also make a clear case for a suitable long-term venue. This is required for the long-term development path to support such events and hyperlinks to our past venue reports.
We know we can do better to grow our sport for all Territorians BUT this is a chicken and egg situation. Without a comparable venue arrangement as enjoyed by other NT sports we are stymied.
Our goal is to achieve Tier Two status using a venue suitable for 24/7/365 access to allow our playing groups to grow and develop. Then we can logically excite greater participation in schools at their multi-shared sites and at the future venue.
Our Board of management is relatively small. Through necessity we have had to review our strategic situation and adapt our governance structure as we continue our core business yet struggle to make a case for a long term venue solution. We meet monthly and are currently trying to recruit a part-time Marketing and Development Officer to relief some of the pressures that just cannot be addressed by a 100% volunteer and mainly working full-time Board.
We have reached out to the NSO Badminton Australia and they have indicated support to our cause in planning and conduct of these games within reason pending the identification of a suitable venue solution. BA has a protocol and checklist for each of its National competitions and we used this discipline when we held the National Under 15 Tournament in 2016.
Territorian players have little to no exposure of higher-level competition standards without first going interstate. Since we have little ability to attract various National or other competitions the community itself has no comprehension of what it is missing out on. We truly are All-Ages and Abilities in a great sport that can grow and incorporate Para-badminton as well if we are given a chance.
The NTBA has been calling for long-term venue solution since 2013 and we desperately need a champion to secure NT and/or Federal monies for a long-term solution. We have had recognition and support from all sides of the House but as yet no concrete resolve to resource what we see as a sensible site for the future of the sport in the NT.
Investing in our long term playing venue will make our future stronger for all players here and radiate out to our other affiliated playing groups. The impact of being able to host larger competitions on the Australian Calendar cannot be overstated as a driver for bringing in National competitions including the Atalanta Games[2].
In about 2008 there was a regional competition that was co-hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Racquet Club. This was not in Malaysia, neither in Sydney nor Melbourne but in Ballarat, country Victoria, where they had about 18 courts for use.
No matter how much personal effort and enthusiasm we individually invest in the conduct of our sport without a decent suitable-for-purpose playing venue we are limited to club level hosting. As someone said the other day…currently `it’s like a mob of blokes hitting in a shed’. On the contrary we are an inclusive, mixed gender sport that is played as Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games but still playing in a shed in Darwin.
The NTBA proposed the infrastructure build when the previous Government canvassed for suggestions to invest the TIO sale monies. Nothing came of that. The Sport and Recreation team cannot make projects like this happen without the specific direction of the NT Government.
This newly elected NT Government has the power to change our playing future for the better and bring us up to parity with other states as well as other regional neighbours within this NT election cycle. Without such an outcome the Australian and World’s athletes will continue to fly overhead to and from the southern states for their competition.
Naturally we will do the best we can to support this incentive to `Bring Back the Arafura Games’. Please help us to help you.
The shuttle literally is in your court.
Questions of the Committee:
1. When will your final report be publicly available?
2. When can we expect advice on a venue solution so that we can scale our collective energies in response?
3. Assuming that this Government re-establishes the Arafura Games:
· What indicative milestones and steps towards that are currently envisaged?
· How is a board of management and reporting regime envisaged?
· How will the progress of these games be evaluated and improvements injected into the next iteration?
· What appetite is there to move quickly to conduct a site survey of potential venues and confirm a way ahead to cross-level all potential sports venues?
· How soon will the NT Government indicate the resource allocation to assure delivery of the venues that will therefore scope out the hosting load expected?
Badminton – past and current
Although badminton has its origins in Europe it has an ever-growing player base in Asia. The badminton competitions are streamed via the Internet to millions on-line. The powerhouse in the region is Indonesia where the playing numbers are now in the millions[3]. These facts are seemingly beyond our comprehension.
The origins of the game of badminton date back at least 2,000 years to the game of battledore and shuttlecock played in ancient Greece, China, and India.[4]
Under the Badminton World Federation there are 5 main bodies depicted below.
Our principal interest is the Badminton Asia Confederation [5] comprising:
In the SE Asia area it is logical to consider playing nations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Timor Leste, Japan and China.
Australia falls in the Badminton Oceania group [6]:
Common Discussion Points
There are many questions to be asked, however the Steering Committee urges every stakeholder to at least consider the following:
· What time of year should the Arafura Games be scheduled?
The President of Badminton Australia (BA) would prefer a `non wet season’ option. A suitable indoor venue would offer 24/7 access and scheduling to cope with a busy competition programme of up to three sessions per day although two is the preferred tempo.
· How long and how often should the Arafura Games be held?
Duration depends on the ability to schedule enough games per session for Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles format for all competing teams and whether there is a team as well as an individual event.
The overall frequency of Games competition ought be discussed with respective National Sporting Organisations (NSO) to ensure that typical competition rhythm is de-conflicted: Olympic (Summer), Commonwealth Games plus significant sports’ World Tournaments.
De-confliction would ease the burden of finding volunteers and court officials.
· What sports should be included in the Arafura Games?
Principally those sports that hold shared cultural significance with the majority of participating regional neighbours. There should be some scope to demonstrate niche cultural sports – this could be part of a specific programme or feature activity as facilities dictate. This should link to the Cultural and Tourism theme of the Arafura Games objectives.
· What is the ideal standard of competition for the Arafura Games?
This should be below National peak level and rather should reflect the standard of a rising Territory, State or Provincial player who is not yet included in National representative teams.
By offering this as a regional/provincial level event it is possible to broaden the number of teams applying and providing more engagement from those communities including their businesses; more of a `grass roots’ feel and traction could be beneficial.
Badminton Australia has indicated that it may offer an Australian Junior National Team to supplement a Territory based `Senior’ team. A budget for that inject would need to be resourced by BA and negotiated in order to permit acclimatisation – particularly coming up from southern Australia in the `winter’.
BA and Oceania may be prepared to consider offering `National’ for our Australian or `Oceania’ ranking points for all those players in order to encourage attendance at that level/age group. To be able to offer those points a hosting venue must meet stringent conditions.
The level of skill of typical Arafura athletes ought not be quite at the same level as National representatives.
The Secretary General/CEO of Badminton Oceania, Julie Carrel has advised that the Arafura Games is not
“an event we would be including in our player development programme; this programme is funded by the BWF with one of the KPI’s being improving world ranking points which means that our programme needs to be focused on events which carry WR points.”
Furthermore… “It is also our intention to run a World Academy of Sport Event Management Course in Australia this year; it would be good to have some representatives from your group on this course. We will liaise with BA on this course.
And finally …
On a personal level, I have extensive experience in badminton events and am also a BWF Accredited Referee, and am happy at any time to provide any assistance you require; happy for you to email or call me.”
· What opportunities do you see for the Northern Territory from staging the Arafura Games?
The ability to showcase our rising regional talent and offer a hospitable environment to guest nations should posture the NT as a welcoming, secure and stable environment for sport and commerce. The ability to have Australian sports officials and players compete in Darwin’s climate would suggest that it be used as an acclimatization base for our teams before going to Asia for competition. Our respective National Sporting Organisations (NSO) should be invited to send observers and evaluate the rising talent for subsequent invitational events.
From a Badminton sports performance outcome it is quite unlikely that on current performance we would place in the top three. Two of our current Under 15 girls are ranked 2nd and 4th Nationally and should be a significant influence on the 2019 NT team.
If the playing conditions and venue is suitable and the competition incentivised this would likely galvanise a number of NT fringe players to commit to a more dedicated training and performance regime.
Sporting Objective
It is important that we understand the sporting competition needs of both our Northern Territory sporting organisations as well as those of our Asia-Pacific neighbours. This will influence and inform the development of the structure of the sporting competition and how it is delivered.
The 2011 Arafura Games were reported as highly successful and the NTBA Inc again applied for participation in the 2013 Games that were subsequently cancelled.[7] This breakdown in momentum and corporate knowledge was not helpful and support for the concept should be shared across both sides of NT Government.
Discussion Points
There are many questions to be asked, however the Steering Committee would urge every stakeholder to at least consider the following:
· What venues are available in Darwin that are of an appropriate standard to host the Arafura Games?
The home of the NTBA is currently a re-purposed warehouse in an industrial zone located at 21 Albatross Street, WINNELLIE and is separate from the usual sporting precinct of Marrara. This suffices for club purposes currently but does get crowded at times. The venue however hardly generates awe and spectator `hum’ that is experienced at other national venues; it is difficult to comprehend that impact until you visit other venues.
For such a virulent and popular sport in Asia to not have a suitable permanent facility for the NT to provide hosting is a situation that ought be redressed and soon before this cohort of the NT playing group is worn down by frustration, embarrassment and lack of support.
With a suitable and permanent home it would greatly benefit and grow playing groups in feeder school and communities to play intra and inter school competitions that are prevalent in other states and territories.
Without a dedicated and suitable venue the competition programme would be very limited by the available multi-purpose generically fitted-out courts that are not being used by other sports. (Nightcliff Middle School, Darwin High School or the Marrara Spectrum Stadium).
Without a suitable venue we may not be able to persuade BA and Oceania to allocate ranking points in those regional international competitions. There is a potential opportunity to have a phone call placed from the commencement of the appearance with either the President of Badminton Australia, Geraldine Brown or the BA and Badminton Oceania Board Member, Loke Poh Wong, to provide answers and supplementary input to queries arising from the NTBA presentation.