SPORTS STAR
Basketball, rugby, league and cricket
Excelling both academically and across a variety of sports, Maraki Aumua is a humble and enthusiastic over-achiever.
The 13-year-old Manawatu¯ lad is an age-group representative for the region in four sports and has been chosen to represent New Zealand in basketball later this year.
And if that weren’t enough, he also scooped every one of the endof-year awards in his final year at Ross Intermediate School last year.
He also won the Sir Peter Blake Young Leader Award for the school, and player of the year for under-13 age grade with Manawatu¯ Rugby League.
‘‘It was a good year’’, he grins. Teachers, coaches and his family helped though, he is quick to add.
He plays cricket, league, rugby union and basketball. The commitments require careful juggling, but he is pretty keen to give everything a go.
‘‘You have to manage time wisely. I’m always doing something.
‘‘You need academics to succeed in life, and I like my sports. So I just wanted to do both. If I can’t do sport later on in life, I can go the other way. I’d like to be an accountant.’’
Maraki loves maths and the satisfaction of problem solving and working equations out. In sport, he loves using strategy, and thinking ahead of the play.
This year is his first at Palmerston North Boys’ High School, and now he’s navigated the start-ofschool nerves he’s looking forward to high school sports.
His top goal is to represent his country, which may well come true this year. He has been selected for the under-13 New Zealand basketball team that will tour Las Vegas in July. It should be an inspiring opportunity, he says.
‘‘Getting chosen makes me really want to achieve and go further in basketball. I think they’ll be a bit faster-paced and shoot the ball a lot. I’ll really enjoy playing alongside the best.’’