Gymnasts claim bronze at Nations of Origin

A team of local gymnasts from Young PCYC have claimed bronzein their age division at the annual Nations of Origin sporting tournament. Hosted across four days from 13-16 July, the tournament that brings together young people from across the state to represent their local Aboriginal Nations in sports such as rugby league, netball, basketball, and gymnastics. Now in its 12th year and held in conjunction with NAIDOC Week, the annual event uses sport as a vehicle to strengthen cultural identity, inspire leadership and empower the next generation both on and off the field. The team from Young, representing the Wiradjuri nation had six gymnasts who competed in the Intermediate class across three apparatus including tumbling, trampoline and floor routine as a team. PCYC Club Manager Sonia Yates said their gymnasts have been training for four months, and competed in the tumbling and trampoline individually, with the scores aggregated. The Young team were one of 13 nations represented in the gymnastic competition, with there being 55 nations represented across the whole Nations of Origin sporting tournament. Ms Yates said along with competing, where they claimed silver, the team attended the cultural night on Monday night where they performed an Indigenous welcome to country poem. This is the first time since 2014 PCYC Young has fielded a team in the Nations of Origin sporting tournament. Looking forward, at a local level, PCYC Young are looking to get a weekly volleyball competition going on Thursday evenings from 4:15pm to 5:45pm and is open to all ages. Along with this, PCYC Young are hosting their regular programs including gymnastics programs that anyone can enroll in.