North Queensland Sports Foundation chief executive Andrew Bligh said the event was likely to attract a record number of sports to compete from Mount Isa to Charters Towers.

The North Queensland Sports Foundation will auspice the events which will invite clubs and associations  in Mount Isa as well as the North West corridor of Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Hughenden and Charters Towers to participate and host events.

The Games offer a unique experience, with a host of sports staged as part of one overall event - delivered across a distance of approximately 1000 kilometres, with more than 2000 participants in the events across the five centres.

Mount Isa is set to be the focus on the first night of the Great Western Games as the city hosts the opening ceremony at the Civic Centre on July 17.

Mount Isa City Council is supporting the event which has in history attracted 2153 sportspeople compete in 21 sporting events including hockey, squash, tennis, cycling, lawn bowls, athletics, basketball and bmx.

Mayor Tony McGrady said the sporting festival is delivered over a distance of approximately one thousand kilometres and will host more than two thousand participants in events across five centres. “Cities and sports associations all along the Overlander Way are coming forward to host a sport within the event,” Cr McGrady said. 

“These games are an opportunity for communities to come together and build upon a strong tradition which is fast building into an iconic event,”

“There is also a strong economic benefit being delivered to communities through the games participants attracted to the area.”

Cr McGrady said the 2015 event would include a number of new sports which hadn’t previously been on offer as part of the games.

“The outlook already is indicating an increase in sports available for competitions.”

Before the evolution of a truly unique event for the rural and remote communities of North West Queensland, Mount Isa hosted the North Queensland Games in 1986, 1994 and 2002; which was the forbearer of the Great Western Games.

The Glencore Great Western Games will be held across the North West between July 18  and July 26.

Richard Harvey, Glencore’s chief processing officer North Queensland, Copper Assets Australia said the company was proud to be involved with the event.

“Coming on board as the major sponsor of the 2015 Glencore Great Western Games builds on our commitment to local sport which also recently saw us heat the Mount Isa pool and sponsor Mount Isa Hockey, Soccer, and events like the Outback to the Stack,” he said.

“We’re proud to be the major sponsor of these Games which allows sportspeople, and particularly young people, to compete in a major organised sporting event.”