Late entrants urged to sign up

Several sports have announced their closing dates for entries the soonest being basketball on Tuesday, January 8, although individual entries will remain open until the start of the games.

Seven other codes have announced their deadlines, with further dates to be released when they become available. Games general manager Mike Cronin said the early deadlines had to be named because those sports need to make up their competition draws.

The number of entries as of Thursday's re-opening of the games office was 3254 up from the 2866 at the same time before the 2011 Wanganui games.

The local area entries total 1230, maintaining the expected 40 per cent of the whole total.

The deadline for the chance to win any of five free entries by entering online is next Friday, January 11.

In 2011, this competition closed on January 15 and by that time the numbers had risen to 4200.

Cronin expects a similar sharp increase in the next few days.

"People are encouraged to get their entries in quickly, because sports may close their numbers. By the January 11 date we expect another 1500 entries," Cronin said.

The cost for online registration is $60 which will rise to $85 for late entries after January 11.

Among the codes, the newly-introduced sport of Ultimate Frisbee has had a slow start for takers.

Demonstrations will be made to local sporting clubs in the next couple of weeks to spark the interest of people who have not seen what the sport entails.

Cronin said it was played at the Masters in 2003 and is both simple and inexpensive to play.

Teams of seven are required and anyone who used a frisbee in their youth can play it with ease.

"It's being played on a Tuesday afternoon [in February] on Springvale Park and with a holiday [Waitangi Day] next day, people only need to take a couple of extra hours off to get involved," said Cronin. "Anyone wanting to get just a little extra out of the games should give it a try."

Entries are to Sport Wanganui.

Further entries for the games can be made online at www.nzmg.com.