A Niue Commonwealth Games visitor!

Niue might be one the world’s smallest independent nations, but it has big ambitions for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with the assistance of Sunshine Coast Council and the Queensland Government.

Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games, Stirling Hinchliffe and Mayor, Mark Jamieson today announced a partnership to help team Niue prepare for the GC2018 Games’ weightlifting, lawn bowls, netball and athletics competitions.

“This special partnership with council will see Niue’s athletes and officials train and stay on the Sunshine Coast to prepare for the island nation’s 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign,” Minister Hinchliffe said.

Mayor Jamieson said the Sunshine Coast would host a team up to 50 athletes and officials from Niue, located between Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

“This is a fantastic way our community can assist a team of athletes from a small country who’ve never had the luxury of a training base to prepare for a Commonwealth Games,” the Mayor said.

“Niue is yet to win a Commonwealth Games medal, but I hope the Sunshine Coast’s world-famous hospitality will change that.

“The Sunshine Coast is already set to enjoy significant economic benefits from having hundreds of athletes and officials from Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man staying here in the lead-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”

Treasurer and Minister for Sport, Curtis Pitt said the Queensland Government’s Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre would become a training camp for the Niue team from March 23 to April 2, 2018.

“The Queensland Government is making the facilities at the Sunshine Coast Recreation Park, Currimundi exclusively available to team Niue with Sunshine Coast Council providing on the ground support,” Mr Pitt said.

“Sunshine Coast Regional Park offers a camp atmosphere that will help Niue’s athletes to be at their best for the Commonwealth Games and deliver opportunities for trial matches with Sunshine Coast representative teams for ahead of competition on the Gold Coast.”

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be the fifth Games appearance for Niue with its team of 50 athletes and officials representing an official population of 1,626 residents.

“Hosting team Niue on the Sunshine Coast is another example of GC2018’s commitment to an inclusive Games and building a lasting legacy that benefits all 70 Commonwealth nations,” Minister Hinchliffe said.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will run from April 4 to 15, 2018.

Fast Facts about Niue:

• Niue is an island country situated in the South Pacific Ocean. Known as the "Rock of Polynesia", the island lies to the northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the south-west, the Samoas to the north-west, and the Cook Islands to the south-east. It is one of the largest coral islands in the world.
• Niue’s land area is 260  square kilometers
• Niue has a population of 1626
• More Niueans live in New Zealand than in Niue.
• English and Niuean are the official and most commonly spoken languages in Niue.
• Alofi is the capital city of Niue. It is the smallest national capital city in the world by population, with 550 inhabitants.
• In 2003, Niue became the first territory to offer free wireless internet to all its inhabitants.

Niue at the Commonwealth Games:

• Niue has competed in four previous Commonwealth Games to date - in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
• Niue has never won a Commonwealth Games medal.
• Niue first participated at the Games in 2002 in Manchester, England with a team of athletes in Boxing, Athletics and Rugby Sevens.
• Niue Island's national sport is darts