Fed: Four millions Aussies playing organised sport

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2008
Fed: Four millions Aussies playing organised sport

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - More than four million Australians are involved in organised
sport, fresh statistics show.

An estimated 4.5 million people, aged 15 years and over, say they are involved in organised
sport and physical activity, an Australian Bureau of Statistics report reveals.

The figure means 27 per cent of Australians over the age of 15 are involved in organised sport.

A further 1.6 million people aged over 15 are also involved in sport through refereeing,
administration, medical support and coaching.

Almost 40 per cent of those people had gained a qualification for their administration role.

"Just over one third (38 per cent or 609,700) of all persons involved in non-playing
roles reported that they had completed a course or qualification relevant to their role,"

the report said.

"The highest proportion of persons with qualifications, appropriate to their involvement,
were in a medical-support role.

"Of the 178,200 people involved in this role, 87 per cent were qualified."

Participation rates are higher in country areas than urban regions, the statistics
- for the 12 months prior to April 2007 - show.

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KEYWORD: SPORT

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