BY RICK HIND

ABOUT 3,000 athletes, officials and volunteers have celebrated at the closing ceremony of the Arafura Games in Darwin.

To the sounds of Barry Brown and Get Down, athletes from as far afield as the United Arab Emirates joined celebrations at Darwin's amphitheatre.

In seven days of competition athletes from South East Asia and the Pacific competed in sports ranging from surf lifesaving to sepak takraw, a combination of volleyball and soccer.

The Northern Territory led the medal count, but PNG dominated the 20-20 cricket and won gold and silver in men's and women's volleyball.

Aceh scored its only medal, a gold in men’s soccer, on the last day.

Nauru athletes Yukio Peter and Itte Detanamo smashed Commonwealth records on their way to victory in the weightlifting.

Source: ABC Online