On April 6, our staff visited Cairns Regional Council as part of our research on the Commonwealth Games. Cairns serves as one of the venues for the Games and the preliminary rounds for basketball took place there. Ms. Belinda Hutchinson, Cairns Regional Council Economic Development Officer kindly hosted us, and explained that the council views the Games as an opportunity to showcase and promote themselves to the world from a cultural and economic point of view through accommodating delegations from Commonwealth countries. She also said that hosting big international events in itself can bring confidence to the region and their residents and urging residents to take part in these events as volunteers can contribute to the internationalisation of their region.
After the meeting, our staff observed some events related to the Games held in Cairns, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. These events were organised by staff and volunteers from the respective councils, not only to entertain visitors but also to showcase their traditional culture and history to them. Various events were held every day during the period of the Games, creating an exciting atmosphere in the cities..
From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.
