Thousands flood into city for Games | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

The 2010 AIMS Games - now the biggest school-aged tournament in New Zealand - kicked off yesterday with a ceremony as spectacular as the games themselves.

Thousands of young competitors from across the country together with coaches and supporters crammed into Tauranga's Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre for the opening ceremony of the week-long tournament.

"It was absolutely packed - I'd hate to even guess how many we had there," tournament co-ordinator Vicki Semple said.

This year's games will be contested by a record 107 schools, flooding Tauranga's hotels and camping grounds with 3870 competitors, 880 coaches, managers and umpires, and hundreds of spectators.

Those at yesterday's ceremony were welcomed into the centre to the sound of Tahatai Coast School band RPM, which had to play for 45 minutes until all were seated.

Then came a thunderous haka by the Otumoetai Intermediate kapa haka group, followed up by rousing performances by beatboxer Andre Harris and world champion hip-hop dance crew Sweet N Sour.

Young Tauranga singing star Leilana Taula and her brother Elijah did the honours of presenting the national anthem, before champion swimmer Danyon Loader told his young admiring audience how a little self-belief was all that was needed for them to achieve the same international greatness he had.

With Te Puke School pupil Jessica Bitcheno breaking a record in her win at the Year 8 girls cross country event at Waipuna Park yesterday, games are already living up to expectations, Ms Semple said.

"From seeing all the kids hop off the buses in their tracksuits, to the opening ceremony yesterday ... we're all just absolutely excited about it all."