The first ever Awards programme to honour achievers in various fields of sports held last weekend in Auckland has been hailed as a ‘thundering success.’
The Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards Presentation Night held on May 12 at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama witnessed a rare gathering of sports personalities representing at least 12 different games gratified that there was at last an avenue to recognise and reward sportsmen and sportswomen of Indian origin resident in New Zealand.
There were 12 categories under which men and women, with a string of achievements to their credit and youngsters aspiring to make their mark in their chosen game/s competed for the top slot.
Independent Judgment
Finalists and winners were recognised, with the latter receiving trophies from the sponsors of the categories concerned.
The entries were evaluated by a panel of judges, independent of Indian Newslink, its management and staff, adding credibility to the judging process.
In fact, none of us, including this reporter had privy to the names of finalists and winners until they were announced at the Awards Night.
As well as the sponsors, the entrants and the organisations that nominated them were appreciative of the integrity of the judging process.
Guests of Honour
Veteran Cricket and Hockey Player and Coach Ramesh Patel, who was among the Guests of Honour at the Ceremony, said that competitive spirit and the ‘will to win’ were central to success in any sport.
“The same would apply to such an Award,” he said, speaking at the event.
“Intuition is also important for success in a game but it is difficult to teach this quality. Intuition comes with experience, along with commitment, discipline, seriousness and concentration,” he said.
Ramesh is perhaps the most successful and celebrated hockey player in New Zealand, having been selected to represent the country in four Olympic Games and World Cup Hockey matches. He has been the Chief Executive of New Zealand Hockey Federation and Director of Hockey New Zealand.
Editor’s Note: A detailed profile of Ramesh Patel appeared in our April 1, 2012 issue.
Among the other Guests of Honour were veterans Praven Jeram (Soccer) and Vilimaina Davu (Netball).
Mr Jeram, who migrated to New Zealand with his family when he was very young, said that lack of knowledge of English and his own physique were the challenges that he had overcome to become a soccer player.
He said perseverance and self-confidence were important to achieve goals in any sport, including soccer.
“It was a huge learning curve for me. It was also physically challenging. Most of the men with who I played were tough and I was extremely slim,” he said.
A report on the sporting career of Mr Jeram appeared in our April 15 issue.
Ms Davu is a Fijian and New Zealand netball player, who has represented both countries in international matches as a goalkeeper. She has also played basketball at an international level.
She played for the Silver Ferns against Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games 2002 and was the star of the Victorious Silver Ferns World Champs team in 2003.
Her formidable defensive style and knack for coming up with big intercepts at key moments has made her a key member of the Ferns side. She captioned the Canterbury Flames for the National Bank Cup during the past two seasons.
Ms Davu said, “Such Awards are important to motivate young players.”
Dedication excels
Member of Parliament (Labour) Dr Rajen Prasad said that Indians in general and Indo-Fijians in particular, evinced substantial interest in sports.
“All games entail hard work and dedication for which members of the Indian community are well known. Sports bring together players, enthusiasts and their families. I congratulate Indian Newslink for taking the initiative in instituting the first ever Indian Sports Awards in New Zealand,” he said.
