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The University of Western Australia's School of Indigenous Studies and UWA Sports are proud to be hosting the 2014 National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games (NITESG), which are returning to Perth for the third time.

Launched in 1996, the annual Games see hundreds of tertiary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students compete against other Indigenous students from universities across Australia.

More than 300 student athletes are expected to compete in this year's Games, which will be held from 21-25 September at UWA's Crawley Campus.

The UWA team, dubbed the Western Waagyls and comprised of 16 student athletes, will compete against the other students in four core sports: basketball, netball, touch and volleyball, and a traditional Indigenous game.

The Western Waagyls were the first team from outside New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to compete in and win the competition. UWA ties with the University of Western Sydney in hosting the Games most frequently - this year brings the Games to Perth for the third time in the event's 19-year history.

Having won six Games and placed runner-up six times, the Western Waagyls have a shot at retaining the Games trophy for a second year running.

UWA's General Project Manager for the event, Brendon Degois, says the home ground advantage will bode well for the team.

"The last Games UWA hosted were in 2008, so the athletes are looking forward to competing on familiar turf, and experiencing what it's like to host an event of this nature," Brandon said.

The Games began as a join-class project between thirteen students enrolled in a Diploma of Aboriginal Studies (Community Recreation) at the University of Newcastle in 1996. The first Games were attended by around 30 students, and have since grown to more than 300 participants.

Media references

Nicole West (Marketing and Communications Officer, UWA Sport and Recreation Association) +61 6488 4309