Lincoln Sports Scholars at World University Games

Lincoln Sports Scholars to Compete at World University Games

Press release, 2 August 2007, Lincoln University, Christchurch: Canterbury based golfers Rodney Yee and Dean Cameron, and soccer player Georgia Goulding will be part of the 115 member New Zealand team leaving for the 24th World University Games in Bangkok next week.

All three sports people are part of the successful Lincoln sporting scholarships programme and are looking forward to participating in their sports at international level.

Head of Lincoln's sports scholarships programme, Peter Magson said the World University Games are the next largest international multi sport event after the summer Olympics, and provide a tremendous opportunity for young athletes to step up.

"Many of the competitors at these games are names to look out for in future Olympic and national squads," Magson said.

"For most of them, this is their first real taste of international competition and for our students, they will be competing in two of the world's most popular sports, golf and soccer, which will provide them with a definite challenge."

Lincoln's sports scholarship programme has been operating for nine years now and golf has been part of the programme for the last three years.

According to CEO of Canterbury Golf, Jay Davies, the scholarship programme provides a tremendous benefit for golf in New Zealand.

"We really appreciate the fact that graduates from Lincoln are emerging not only with strong skills in their sport, but also the academic background that may take them into other roles in the sport – as administrators, managers, elite coaches, and of course, as high performing golfers in their own right."

He says Yee and Cameron are both very promising young golfers who are in the top 12 men's players in Canterbury and on the verge of being selected in the top five.

"The world games will hopefully give both of them the boost they need to take their golf to the next level. We are expecting big things of them."

Soccer player Georgia Goulding is one of only two players to have competed on the NZ Secondary Student team and the World University Games team in the same year. She is an exciting young player who made a significant contribution to the New Zealand secondary team that played Australia in three tests earlier this year.

About the World University Games

The World University Games are held every two years, with the 2007 event being held in Bangkok Thailand, August 8 – 18.

With over 9,500 competitors and officials from 170 nations competing in 17 sports, the World University Games are the second largest global multi-sports event after the Summer Olympics.

New Zealand will compete in athletics, swimming, men’s basketball, fencing, golf, judo, table tennis, artistic gymnastics and women’s football.

“The World University Games is a truly world class event. It’s no easy feat to make this team and it provides athletes with an invaluable experience to compete against many of the world’s best. Events like this help athletes aspire to greater things like Olympics and world championships,” said Chef de Mission Martin Macdonald.

The New Zealand team will be captained by gold medal winning swimmer Moss Burmester.

ENDS

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