One of the most important attributes of an Awards Scheme is the integrity of its judging panel. While privacy and confidentiality should be guaranteed, the judging process must be robust and accountable.
A panel of judges that is independent of the organisers of an Awards Scheme inspires confidence among entrants, sponsors and the public. Such a panel should not only comprise persons of unimpeachable integrity but also those who are knowledgeable in the concerned field of activity.
Robust process
On such a score, those connected with the Indian Newslink Awards Programmes (including the Indian Business Awards and the Indian Sports Awards) can be assured of well-placed evaluating process.
Our Sports Awards this year will be better and bigger than its predecessors. Just three years old, these Awards have earned the respect and attention of some of the best known names in various forms of sports.
As we express our gratitude to them for their time and expertise, we have the honour of featuring some of them here.
David Sandy
A Detective at the New Zealand Police (Counties Manukau), David Sandy has been a judo expert since long and has represented Fiji at several international contests including the South Pacific and Oceania Competitions at which he has won several medals.
He was also nominated as an Emerging Sportsman at the Annual Fiji Sportsman of the Year Awards for winning the first medal for Fiji in the Young Men’s category at a competition held in Australia.
Detective Sandy has been a follower of other sports but began to evince larger interest in Soccer when his son commenced playing last year.
“I enjoy every moment of every game either on the field or on the screen. Some form of sports is essential to keep the mind and body fit,” he said.
Faiyaz Khan
Faiyaz Khan is happy that Indian Newslink has included the ‘Best Boxer of the Year’ category in its Sports Awards scheme.
“It is a privilege to be on the independent panel of judges and enjoyed evaluating the entries received. The Indian Sports Awards provide a great opportunity for our pugilists to ‘stand up and be counted’ (pun intended!) so that they are recognised and rewarded for their efforts,’ he said.
According to him, Boxing should not be seen as a ‘fight between two individuals or groups’ but as a healthy sport that promotes physical wellbeing of people.
“I have often heard that most members of the Indian community do not have much physical activity and hence are vulnerable to various types of ailment. It is not enough to do hard work at home or office,” Mr Khan said.
Gurpreet Arora
Growing up in the Royal City of Patiala (Punjab, India) Constable Gurpreet Arora (South Asian Liaison Officer, Counties Manukau Police) said that he cherishes his early years when he used to play Cricket on the street, rooftop and the field.
“When my father saw my potential, he took me to the Coach at a local club, where popular Cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu used to practice. The Coach, looking at my game, decided to take me under his wings,” Constable Arora said.
However, his mother wanted him to concentrate on studies. Although disappointed, he complied with his mother’s wishes.
Arriving in New Zealand for higher education, Constable Arora played for a junior team, scoring 93 runs. The following day he was included in the Senior Team.
“Those playing Cricket with passion can hope to come under the careful eyes of seniors or selectors or both,” he said.
Rachel Chandra
Rachael Pashmeena Chandra (a Solicitor at an Auckland law firm) takes keen interest in sports generally but her passion is netball. She played for the University of Auckland Club for a number of years in the Auckland Netball League.
She has also played in the Sangam Tournaments in New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. Her team, ‘North Harbour Sangam,’ won the Sangam World Cup in Sydney in November 2011.
She an independent judge in the Netball category and strongly believes that sporting achievements should be recognised to encourage people to take more interest in sports.
“Sports are a way of focusing energy on something positive. It teaches life skills such as discipline, hard work, team spirit, commitment and the ability to work together by contributing your individual best,” she said.
Ms Chandra said that there are some great sporting achievers in our community and that they need to be recognised.
Ramesh Patel
Ramesh Patel is one of New Zealand’s most recognised Indian sportsmen and administrators. His flair for sports and administrative and teaching ability have seen him record several achievements for himself, the organisations that he has represented and the country over the past many decades.
Born in Auckland (1953), he began playing Hockey for the Lt Lukes Hockey Club when he was ten years old.
He soon gained a place in the Auckland Hatch Cup and the New Zealand Hatch Club Tournament teams commencing an illustrious career that propelled him into national and international recognition.
In 1989, Ramesh was appointed Chief Executive of New Zealand Hockey Federation, a position he held for 20 years, before stepping aside to take up a new role with Hockey New Zealand as the Director, to oversee high performance, coaching and development aspects of the sport.
This allows Ramesh to deal directly with the Black Sticks and their programmes.
The Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards Night will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2013 from 730 pm at Alexandra Park, Greenlane, Auckland. For tickets and other details, please call Ravin Lal on (09) 5336377 or 021-753699 Email: ravin@indiannewslink.co.nz
