Sport

While still a very traditional people and very culturally strong the Western Desert has for many years excelled in producing quality sporting talent. Elders and other community leaders realise the importance of sport in promoting a healthy lifestyle, positive social skills, maintaining a good psychological balance and just having a great time.

For this reason the community hold sport for the young ones as a priority wether it is the high profile ‘Western Desert Warriors’ football team, ladies medal winning softball team, basketball team or the more traditional exponents of spear-throwing, water carrying, fire lighting, athletics and all out running.

Western Desert Community Sporting Teams include Punmu, Parnngurr (Cotton Creek), Kunawarritji, Irrungadji (Nullagine), Jigalong, Parnpajinya (Newman), Yandeyarra, Karalundi, Wiluna and Central Desert communities include Wingellina, Warnarn, Warburton, Jameson, Kiwirrkurra and Tjukurla.

Teams made up of the best that these communities have to offer, have represented the region against some of the states best football teams over the past two decades.

Martu Festivals are a celebration of culture as well as the sporting icon that the regions isolation dictates can usually only happen annually with representatives often travelling more than a thousand kilometres each way to attend. Football matches are played on the hot dirt ovals by bare foot, fast running men and boys, often with no distinguishing team uniforms. These are carried out over a long weekend with basketball, netball and other sporting prowess being displayed at every corner. The talent is there from a young age as you can observe with children doing back-flips, cartwheels, etc in perfect form as a part of everyday play.

Another Jigalong Community infrastructure asset is the 25 metre salt water & chlorine swimming pool. The swimming pool is more than just fun and a welcome relief from the regions soaring temperatures, its construction in September 2000 had a dramatic impact on some of the childrens health conditions caused by the areas hot, dry, dusty environment. Since the pool was built, eye, ear, throat & skin infections among the children have dropped dramatically.

Of course there is also the added benefit of exercise which looks after our kids health in any environment.