More than 1000 participants, and 60 years of history, come to town today as the region hosts the Australian Deaf Games for the first time.
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It's been four years in planning and was postponed in 2022 due to COVID, but the multi-sport tournament being held across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie over the next week finally begins on Saturday with registrations and an opening ceremony.
The first of the Games' 21 sports get underway on Sunday, including beach volleyball at Nobbys beach and soccer at Speers Point.
Futsal and lawn bowls are two of the most popular sports, according to Deaf Sports Australia's Garry West-Bail, while surfing and CrossFit are new additions. The Games, which are usually held every four years, have been running since 1964.
"The legacies out of the games have been strong," West-Bail said.
"The event is very much about sport, and the social program.
"There's over 20 events happening this next week, from gin distilleries to comedy nights."
For the most part, the sports are generally played as usual. Rules remain the same, but there are slight changes like referees using flags, instead of whistles, and lights replacing a starter's gun at the athletics track.
Participants, from across Australia and also abroad including New Zealand and Fiji, compete for honours in their own sport, but results also contribute to an interstate competition.
The winning state takes home the John Lovett Cup