Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last Saturday night I had the opportunity to attend the Wests Sports Council award night. It is a great opportunity not only to recognise some of the good sports in our area and some of our champions but also to pay tribute to the people who keep our junior sports going over the year. The night was also an opportunity for me to recognise the people who are so essential to the success of local sport and who often go unrecognised. I had the opportunity to present the Australian sports achievement awards in recognition of the continuation of support and dedicated commitment by a number of people.

Firstly, I recognised and presented awards to John Brown, who is President of the Macquarie Fields Swimming Club and who has been attached to that club now for over 32 years, and to Miss Lyn Deveney, secretary, who, similarly, has been associated with the Macquarie Fields Swimming Club for over 30 years and is also Secretary of the Wests Sports Council. Other recipients included Alan Connolly from the Camden and Campbelltown District Cricket Club, locally known as the Ghosts, who has been the driving force in leading a campaign to develop the Raby cricket fields as a premier cricket facility in our region, and Ann Nicholson, from the Macarthur Triathlon Club, who has always been available to assist not only in training but in event management. Ann has been associated with her club in ensuring that they have been able to compete so regularly over the last 10 years. I will not embarrass Shirley Conolly, another recipient, by saying how long she has been associated with the Netball Association of Campbelltown, but suffice it to say that Shirley is regarded as being synonymous both with Campbelltown and with netball. As a matter of fact, when my daughter grew up it was through the efforts of Shirley that my daughter began playing netball in the local district. I also presented an award to the Wests Leagues Club for their continued support for junior sport. Roy Warby, the chairman of the board, accepted the award on behalf of the club. I should point out that the Wests Leagues Club commits in excess of $1 million annually to sport in our local area. In addition to that, $34,000 was committed to over 140 recipients so that they could compete in state national and international events.

Without the dedication and support shown to the youth in our area by these people, we would not have the opportunities that we currently enjoy. Our community certainly owes them a great debt of gratitude. We celebrate our champions but it is this small group that keeps our people out there competing and gives the youth their opportunities. (Time expired)

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