AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH GAMES TEAM MESSAGE

21 September 1998

The Governor-General, Sir William Deane, who is Patron of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, today sent a message of congratulations to the members of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team in Kuala Lumpur.

The message, to Mr Don Stockins, Chef de Mission, is reproduced in full.

Mr Don Stockins
Chef de Mission
Australian Commonwealth Games Team
KUALA LUMPUR

Dear Mr Stockins

I ask that you pass the following message to the members of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team:

"As Governor-General and Patron of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, and on behalf of all Australians, I congratulate each of you on your successes, your achievements and the high standards of sportsmanship you have displayed at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In terms of medals won, Australians have been outstandingly successful. Many of you have achieved personal bests. All of you have given of your best. Irrespective of individual results, you have all combined, as a team, to bring great credit to yourselves and to our country.

I offer you my personal thanks and the warm good wishes of our nation. In particular, I would like to say how appreciative I am of the countless hours of training and the sacrifices you have all made to enable you to make your own individual contribution to the quality of our team."

I add my congratulations and good wishes to you as Chef de Mission, and to all the Australian officials, coaches, trainers and others who have played a part in our Team's success. We look forward with high hopes to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Yours sincerely

Hon Sir William Deane AC KBE
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Patron of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association