Who are the top Porirua sportspeople?
There’s still time to get those nominations in for the Porirua Sports Awards, but the deadline is coming up fast.
The cutoff date is September 19, with judges to meet soon after. The event will be held at Te Rauparaha Arena on November 3.
Last year’s star turn was netballer-turned-triathlete Ngarama Milner-Olsen, who took out the individual sportswoman and Michael Campbell premier award, following her efforts at the long-distance world triathlon championships last June.
The nominations, for August 31 last year to September 1 this year, were trickling in, but people needed to get a wriggle on, said event manager Helen Brookes.
‘‘So many people and clubs leave it to the last minute, but that shouldn’t be the attitude,’’ she said. ‘‘Best to get it done, and soon.’’ Two relatively new categories worth thinking about for clubs and coaches this year were the Athlete with a Disability and Volunteer of the Year.
The latter replaces the Lotto Sport Makers award and is likely to be sponsored by Porirua City Council.
The Athlete with a Disability category was won in 2015 by Steven Bishop, but he was the only nominee.
‘‘With that award, it’s quite a wide range of people that are eligible, including deaf athletes, sportspeople in wheelchairs and those that take part in Special Olympics,’’ Brookes said. Anyone with questions about eligibility or needing more infor- mation can contact the arena.
‘‘We want this [award nominations] to be easy, and we’ve made it that way. It’s open to everyone, not just elite athletes.
‘‘They’re a brilliant way to recognise the fantastic sporting achievements happening all the time in Porirua.’’
Porirua City Council and Porirua Community Trust are hosting the event.
Other winners last year were Kevin Smith (coach, golf), Marama Elkington (young sportswoman, waka ama), Daniel Hillier (young sportsman, golf), Craig Caldwell (sportsman, darts), Taimania women (team, waka ama) and Neil Harris (service to sport, athletics).
Past premier winners include Jerry Collins and the Titahi Bay Surf Boat A crew.
Go to terauparaha-arena.co.nz to fill out a nomination form and find more information.