Saint John will welcome athletes from across the Maritimes in June.
The East Coast Games will return to the Port City after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The three-day event will include 13 different sporting events, and attract nearly 1,600 athletes.
“We have an ultimate frisbee, rugby, track and field, fencing, lacrosse, ball hockey, badminton, basketball, cricket, a road race, softball, karate, and beach volleyball,” said Keith Raynes, co-chair of the East Coast Games.
Sporting events included in the games will be spread out across the Saint John region.
“We have events going on in Grand Bay-Westfield, we have softball going on in Rothesay, and we’re spreading out across the community because we need the venues to support the different sports that are competing,” continued Raynes.
The event is also expected to draw a large crowd of spectators.
“With 1,500 to 1,600 athletes, in a lot of cases you’re dealing with a large support group of moms, dads, and relatives coming, so there’s anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 people that might be coming because their son or daughter is competing,” mentioned Raynes.
Since the creation of the games in 2015, more than 10,000 participants have competed.
It has also created an economic impact of over $1 million for the Greater Saint John Region.
“These numbers would not be possible without the dedicated commitment of our sports directors and their many volunteers over the years”, says Bill MacMackin, co-chair of the East Coast Games, in a release.
“Through all their hard work, sports tourism continues to grow and helps to drive economic growth in our communities,” added MacMackin.
The East Coast Games will run from June 10 to 12. For more information, CLICK HERE.
