24 Sep 2008

Talent scouts will be on the hunt for Australia’s next generation of sporting superstars at this year’s Australian University Games in Melbourne from 28 September to 3 October 2008.

Specialists from the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) National Talent Identification and Development (NTID) program will be on the hunt at various Australian University Games locations throughout the week, plus athletes can also visit the NTID team for testing at the Ener-G Spot at Federation Square, Melbourne, during the Games.

The Australian University Games is a massive sporting event with more than 6000 athletes competing in 28 individual and team sports. The event is a potential gold mine of talent in the hunt for Australia’s next generation of Olympic and world champions.

Senior Manager of the NTID program, Morag Croser, will be leading a team of staff at the Games who will be casting their eyes over leading athletes and top performers in selected sports.

‘This event is a great opportunity to watch and discover some of the nation’s best sporting talent.

‘We will be looking for athletes with that special ‘x’ factor who ideally possess the right physical attributes and qualities needed to complete at the Olympic and world-championship level,’ Croser said.

If athletes are identified by the NTID program at the Australian University Games, they could be recruited and fast tracked into elite programs for one of the 13 Olympic sports the NTID program currently works with.

The NTID program will also be using the AUG as an opportunity to promote their recently launched online talent identification tool, eTID.

For more information about the ASC’s NTID program and eTID, visit ausport.gov.au/talent