Tough competition for sports awards
The judges will have their work cut out at the Porirua Sports Awards this year.
The presentation of the annual awards will be made at Te Rauparaha Arena on November 13. Nominations closed last month.
Basketball coach Deslea Wrathall is nominated in coach and service to sport.
In the coach category, she is up against Fahina Tulepu ( waka ama), Rachel Wybourne-Curtin (bowls), Nevill Sutton (swimming) and Richard Torea (netball).
In the service category, Peter Jones (surf lifesaving), Elaine Wi (netball), John Hodges (canoeing and waka ama) and Manu Dalley ( basketball) will vie with Wrathall.
From those two categories, one person will receive $1000 worth of vouchers, to recognise their volunteer work.
Aotea College will have chances, with its bowls and golf teams nominated. Others nominated include Toa men’s basketball, Northern United netball premiers, the national champion under-21 men’s tag footballers, Porirua East Eagles netball side and two waka ama teams – Taimania PCKC and Mura Va’ine.
In the young male category, top swimmer Ben Walsh faces stiff competition from Jeremy Hollis (archery), Daniel Hillier ( golf), Seamus Curtin ( bowls), Brady Amer (bowls), Ash Aiono (volleyball), Rapata Wiki- Cummings (netball and basketball) and Te Kahui Bishop (softball).
In the young female section, last year’s winner, Whitney Souness (netball), Paiton Koko-Lutau ( softball), Chelsea Brunner (softball), Emma Symonds (underwater hockey) and Parerima WikiCummings (netball and basketball) are leading contenders.
Waka ama is well represented in the sportswoman category and there is a family connection. Mereana and Marianna Hodges have both been nominated, along with Kate Horan (paracycling), Claudia Larsen (tenpin bowling), Elle Hocking (underwater hockey) and Black Fern Sanita Levave.
National champions Steven Kent (surf lifesaving and swimming), Martyn McDowell ( surf lifesaving and kayaking) and Bevan Kelly (barefoot waterski- ing) head the field, and All Black TJ Perenara, Hamish McGrigor (tenpin bowling), Sone-Mano Vannathy (Thai kickboxing), Jordan Ngatai (basketball) and Turi Hodges (waka ama) round out a starstudded field.
All category winners except service to sport are eligible for the supreme award.
Chairman of Porirua Com- munity Trust Henry Smith, said he was pleased with the number, variety and calibre of nominations.
Being able to nominate online for the first time had made the process easier, Smith said.
This year, Kapi-Mana News will present an elite award, for a sportsman or sportswoman playing outside our area.