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By
Iulia Leilua |
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The Niuean population in New Zealand may be small, but what they lack
in size they make up for in plucky determination.
That attitude has been the driving force behind the Niue Sports
Federation (now in its tenth year of existence) and their staging of
the 2001 Niue Sports Awards.
The Federation is very well organised and has affiliations in eight
Auckland zones with their own zone leaders. They also support
athletics, kilikiti, golf, netball, rugby league, rugby union, softball
and touch football.
The latter sport was the most prominent code at this year's awards
night. Meleveti Utatao-Palalagi won the Administrator of the Year
Award for her contributions to touch football while David Pakieto
was named Umpire of the Year for his services to touch football and
rugby league.
Touch coach, Kelly Ikinofo, took the Coach Award and the Sports Team
of the Year was the men's over-40s touch team.
Interestingly this team
won a bronze medal at the Masters Touch Football World Cup in
Sydney two years ago - despite team members living miles apart in
Wellington, Sydney and Auckland. Even the assistant coach had to
clock up the miles to attend training sessions from Christchurch. To
top off the team's success, a special credit went to the team's
coach - Lele Sipeli-Schaumkel - the first female to coach at world
cup level.
Sportsperson (but Sportspeople in this case) of the Year went to the
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aforementioned team, and Sportswoman of the Year was Fetu Kamutoa
from the Niue women's touch team. Michael Niu was named Niue's top
sportsman. Niu represented New Zealand in the Tri Series against
Argentina and Japan and against Sydney's Under 19s this year.
Finally the outstanding sporting code of the year was - you guessed it
- touch football.
Asked why touch football is so popular with Niueans, former Federation
president, Tasman Utatao, says it's because their members have a
passion for the sport.
"Overall Niue Touch has developed players of a very high standard,"
says Utatao. "They've represented not only Niue, but New Zealand. To
date, we have about twelve Niue players who've been selected and played
for New Zealand - a proud record indeed."
Celebrating Niue's sporting achievements was a festive affair. Despite
the cold winter weather outside, inside the Manhattan clubrooms there
was a warm, tropical atmosphere with a hint of coconut oil and
frangipani in the air.
Like most Pacific Island people, Niueans know how to entertain with
plenty of good music, cultural entertainment and jocularity. It was the
food however, which really stole the show. Club Manhattan's caterers
have got putting on a sumptious Pacific Island feast down to a very
fine art, and as venues go, the club has an ideal setup for large
Pacific Island functions.
The official part of the evening was rounded off with a victory dance
from the award winners before their families and friends got up to
enjoy the dance floor themselves. All in all it was an evening to show
how proud the Niue community were in their country people, and a
fitting testimony to the Niue Sports Federation's motto: 'Fakamalolo Ke
Kautu: Strive to Achieve'.
2001 Awards List:
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Administrator of the Year
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- Meleveti Utatao-Palalagi (Touch Football)
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Umpire of the Year
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- David Pakieto (Touch & Rugby League)
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Coach of the Year
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- Kelly Ikinofo (Touch Football)
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Sports Team of the Year
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- Men's over - 40s Touch Team.
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Sportswoman of the Year
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- Fetu Kamutoa (Niue women's Touch Team)
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Sportsman of the Year
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- Michael Niu
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Sportsperson/s of the Year
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- Men's over - 40s Touch Team
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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