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BINGHAMTON-- The 2008 Governor Hugh L. Carey Empire State Games will be held in Binghamton from July 23 - July 27, 2008, Gov. George Pataki has announced. The event will mark the 31st celebration of the Summer Games, one of the largest amateur state-sponsored athletic programs in the nation. The Games have been held in Binghamton twice previously, in 2000 and 2004.
"Every year, the Empire State Games provides outstanding competition for highly skilled amateur athletes from across New York drawing thousands of spectators to the host region," Pataki said. "I am pleased that this successful program is returning to Binghamton for 2008, to be enjoyed by participants and visiting fans of all ages. With its wide array of centrally-located sports facilities and the active support of the community, the Southern Tier will welcome once again New York's premier athletes to showcase their remarkable talent and achievements."
The athletes will be housed and the Games will primarily be conducted in facilities at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Additional venues in Broome County will also host some of the Games' competitions and programs.
The Summer Games feature nearly 6,000 athletes, representing six regions from across the state, participating in 28 different Olympic-style sports. The athletes participate in either the scholastic, open or masters division. The five-day event normally attracts more than 20,000+ visitors to the area and generates an economic impact of upwards of $10 million for the local economy.
Empire State Games events will likely include men's and women's basketball, rugby, tennis, boxing, volleyball, softball, baseball, ice hockey, diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics, track & field, soccer, sailing, cycling, canoe/kayak, lacrosse, judo, archery, wrestling, bowling, field hockey, fencing, shooting, and rowing.
The Empire State Games is a program of the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, sponsored in part, by the New York Lottery. Established in 1978 by Governor Hugh L. Carey, the Empire State Games programs, currently encompassing summer, winter, senior and physically challenged events, was the first of its kind in the nation. Last July, Governor Pataki formally named the Games after Governor Carey in recognition of his longstanding support of the program. More than 125,000 athletes have participated in the Summer Games, and they have become the model for which 42 other states have patterned their games.
Cities from across the state submit a proposal for review by State Parks' Empire State Games office. A site is then chosen after evaluating several important criteria, such as accessibility from other points in the state, housing for the thousands of athletes, the availability of hotel accommodations for families and visitors, suitable athletic venues, access to medical facilities and the commitment and support of a sizeable volunteer base from the Local Organizing Committee and sponsors.
Dozens of U.S. Olympic Team members and outstanding amateur and professional athletes are alumni of the Empire State Games. Twenty-two former ESG athletes were on USA's Winter Olympic team in Salt Lake City, while more than a dozen participated in the Summer Olympics in Sidney. Prominent Empire State Games alumni include: Olympic Gold Medalists Jeff Blatnick (wrestling), Diann Roffe-Steinrotter (Alpine skiing), Jimmy Shea (Skeleton), Chris Mullin and Christian Laettner (basketball) and Cathy Turner (speed skating); gold medal figure skater Sarah Hughes; WNBA stars Tammie Reese and Sue Bird; boxers Hector Camacho and Mike Tyson, and many other well-known athletes.
The 2007 Summer Games will be held in Westchester County, July 25-29. Additional information about the Empire State Games and its programs is available at www.empirestategames.org. 12-29-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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