Australind celebrates community sport at inaugural SportDaze event

It was a sport fanatic’s paradise last weekend as the first ever SportDaze was held at the Leschenault Recreation Ground. More than 50 sporting clubs and associations took part in the event, with an array of activities to match the diversity of the organisations present. There was plenty to choose from, from bubble soccer and boccia to wheelchair basketball and yoga. For the youngest members of the family, sensory play and an interactive sport-themed storytime was provided. Those wishing to see some sporting action were treated to cricket matches between the Leschenault and Harvey-Benger cricket clubs. Several free community workshops were put on at The Pav for interested parties, while a Pride Games was played in the mid-afternoon. The day concluded with a movie screening in the evening. One of the highlights of the event was when Harvey Shire president Paul Gillett took to the court in a celebrity tennis match against Brunswick tennis prodigy Alifaye Gidgup. The match was roughly a draw, though Mr Gillett reckoned the up-and-coming star went easy on him. He said it was a good day and thanked all who contributed to the event. “A lot of organisation went into it by staff and community volunteers,” Mr Gillett said. “It highlighted what a great area with have and the volunteers who run a lot of our sporting organisations. “It actually turned out quite good to have both (cricket) teams in the Shire playing on that day.” He said the council was looking at running SportDaze as an annual event. The event was supported through funding from Sport Australia Regional Sport Event Fund.