![Thousands flocked to Ted Scobie Oval to watch the kabaddi. Photo by Liam Warren. Thousands flocked to Ted Scobie Oval to watch the kabaddi. Photo by Liam Warren.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/129741260/5ed291df-38bc-4900-9fc5-4aa4bfb8a532.png/r0_0_826_464_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Sikh Games are always a busy weekend for the Riverina's hotels and motels, and the 25th year of the annual Shaheedi Tournament was no exception - with rooms full for kilometres and some visitors even sleeping in their cars.
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The games were estimated to bring in around 20,000 people - and space was in short supply.
Lilly Bordignon from the Gem Hotel said that they were flat-out, but that it was a good weekend.
"It's one of our busier times. We did good, we were fully booked out, there were no problems though ... we had everything organised well before the weekend," she said."
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While the event is a huge boon for Griffith's economy, most visitors came just for the games - arriving Friday and leaving on Monday morning.
"They all pretty much came on the Friday and checked out this morning," Ms Bordignon said.
The weekend was the first time Shane Douglas at the Grand Motel has contended with the massive crowds, and he had an excellent time.
"We had been prepared, and we fully expected basically what occurred. It was full occupancy, and endless phone calls every day from people needing more accommodation. We were fielding 20 or 30 a day over the last two weeks," he said.
"Even during the day and over the weekend, people were calling up seeing if there were any last minute cancellations."
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Despite the hectic weekend, he was pleased.
"It's hospitality, this is what we do."
He noted one client who stayed Sunday night, who had slept in their car for the Saturday due to being unable to find accommodation anywhere - while others have been known to have stayed hundreds of kilometres away and driven up for the day.
Mr Douglas said that the numbers were also good for staff, who got extra work over the long weekend that they don't usually land.
"For us, it's an opportunity where we can have loading for the staff - we had full staff on which we don't usually have."
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