Local athletes up for Halberg awards
Horowhenua-Kapiti’s women’s canoe polo contingent and speed skater Peter Michael have followed up their successes on the world stage with Halberg Award nominations.
The Paddle Ferns have been listed in the Team of the Year category for next year’s awards, while Michael is nominated in the Sportsman category.
The Paddle Ferns won the world championships in Italy earlier this year, New Zealand’s first canoe polo gold medal. They beat twotime reigning champions Germany, 3-2, in the final.
Coach Peter Housiaux, from Otaki, said he was pleased the team was getting recognised.
‘‘Hopefully it will help bring the sport to the attention of everybody. Our sport is growing all the time. It was quite a good surprise.’’
The side has a strong connection to the area. Housiaux’s daughter, Jordan, captained the team, while manager Jane Bertlesen is also from Otaki.
Of the eight players who played at the world champs, seven had a HorowhenuaKapiti connection. Paris Pidduck and Jordan Pearse played for the Generation Y team, based in Otaki, while sisters Erin and Kate Bolton, Megan Lyons and Emaah Hicks went to Horowhenua College.
Sixteen other teams make up the category, including the All Blacks.
Born in Wellington but raised in Kapiti, Michael became world speed skating champion for the seventh and eighth times in September. He took out the 1000 metre and 15,000m races at the World Speed Skating Championships in China, and won silver in the marathon.
He won the 5000m race at the International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup in Kazakhstan earlier this month, New Zealand’s first gold at the event.
Michael is up against 21 other contenders for the Sportsman title.
The awards will be announced on February 9.