Olympians Reception Parliament House

4 August 1996

Chief Minister Shane Stone requested that an invitation be extended to the Ah Mat family to commemorate a past Territory Olympic champion. Family members of three generations gathered to mark the occasion. Michael Ah Matt (30 November 1942 – 1984) was an Indigenous men’s basketball player. He competed for Australia at the 1964 Olympics. Ah Matt was born in Townsville, Queensland. He grew up in Darwin. He represented the Northern Territory at the 1959 Australian Championships. After the Championships he moved to Adelaide to play with South Adelaide Panthers He played a then record 588 games over twenty seasons the Panthers. In 1964 Tokyo Olympics , Michael became one of the first two Indigenous Australians to represent their country at an Olympic Games as part of a Boomers squad that would finish in 9th position. He was a member of the Australian team that participated in the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Monterrey prior to the Mexico Olympic Games. The team failed to qualify for the 1968 Summer Olympics. Michael Ah Matt died in 1984. Following his passing he was admitted to the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame and In 2010 was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. Michael Ah Mat's portrait was displayed at the foot of the lecturn during the various presentations to the Olympians to emphasis he was there in spirit. Minister Steve Hatton with members of the Ah Mat family.



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