While Australia’s top athletes are currently in Manchester competing in the Commonwealth Games, CQU Melbourne International Campus students have just finished contending their first Southern University Games.

Held in Bendigo and hosted by La Trobe University, Melbourne students competed against 1200 students from 16 Universities and TAFE Colleges from Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

CQU was represented in Men’s Table Tennis, Men’s Badminton and Women’s Badminton and proved unstoppable especially in the Table Tennis. Luyen Pham remained undefeated in all singles matches he played. The table tennis team won the silver medal after an intense playoff in the final against Monash University.

The University of Melbourne were overall victors taking five gold medals, with last year’s winners Monash University runners up in 2002.

The CQU Men’s Table Tennis and Men’s Badminton teams both qualified for the Australian University Games being held in Adelaide in August.

Acting Director of Melbourne International Campus, Barbara Abou-Lehaf, said she was extremely proud of the achievements of all competing students who illustrated the importance of working as a united group to accomplish victory. Certificates of appreciation were awarded to all participants at a formal awards lunch upon their return.

LEFT: MIC -Southern University Team. Top row: Vikram Gupta, Luyen Pham, Sanbir Singh Shawney, Subhash Kunwar, Vijaya Mohan, Nageshwar Rao Yada; Front Row: Kavim Jit, Thusitha Manjula Mendis, Jeti Endawie (Stuent Association Coordinator) and Xue.

ABOVE: Luyen Pham and Nageshwar Rao Yada playing doubles at Southern University games.