The Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards, launched last year, has been attracting widespread interest among clubs, associations, individuals involved in various types of sports and commercial organisations.
New Categories
In deference to the wishes of a number of veterans and sports achievers, we have added three new categories including the ‘Best Boxer of the Year,’ the ‘Best Back Stopper Kabaddi Player of the Year’ and the ‘Best Sports Administrator of the Year.’
With these additions, our Sports Awards extend to a wider range of sports, and we hope to add appropriate changes in the categories in the following years, reflecting the wishes of the sporting people in the community.
Our Sports Awards this year comprise 15 categories, in addition to the ‘Best Sportsman of the Year’ and the ‘Best Sportswoman of the Year,’ chosen from the winners of the individual categories.
An independent panel of judges, independent of this newspaper and its management, sponsors and others involved in the Awards scheme will evaluate the entries and decide on the finalists and winners. Led by Steve Smith, who has a sound knowledge of a number of sports, the panel comprises people who are known for their penchant for sports and mastery in the respective categories of the Awards.
Promoting youngsters
In establishing this Awards scheme, Indian Newslink aims to recognise and reward achievers of Indian origin in New Zealand. Our aim is also bring together sports veterans, players, managers, referees and many others who believe in lifting the professional standards of sports within the community.
We also hope that the achievers recognised through this Awards scheme will progress further in their sporting careers and reach national and international standards, representing the clubs and associations at local, regional and district levels and hopefully play their respective game for New Zealand.
With an increasing number of event organisers (mostly Bollywood and programmes promoting local singing and dancing talent) knocking on the doors of commercial establishments for sponsorship with monetary support, businesses are becoming not only selective and even restrictive on the amount allocated.
The difficult economic situation and the accompanying tight cash flow have made the job of event organisers more difficult in recent years.
However, projects and programmes that are aimed at recognising businesses, community and sports organisations for excellence could be assured of continued support, as evidenced by our sponsors.
Business promotion
Rohit Anand, Managing Director of the Auckland based Windoors New Zealand Limited said he has been using Indian Newslink for several years and that the results have always been encouraging and profitable.
“I am a follower of various sports and therefore consider the Awards programme as super idea. With so many categories, I am sure that the Scheme will motivate our achievers to improve their performance,” he said.
His Company is the Sponsor of the ‘Best Golfer of the Year’ Category.
“I am sure there is a need to promote Golf among the members of the Indian community, especially our boys. We are happy to sponsor this category. Any form of sports is truly challenging and I look forward to improved performance of our men, women and youth,” Mr Anand said.
He said he was looking forward to the Awards Presentation Night, to be held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, Auckland.
Sponsorship benefits
Suresh Din, Director Food Safety (NZ) Ltd, Sponsor of the ‘Best Under 19 Soccer Player of the Year’ category agreed, saying that our young men and women have the liberty to exercise their choice in education, career and sports.
“But it is the responsibility of the parents to generate the interest in them from their formative years and participate more actively in their pursuits,” he said.
“The Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards 2013 would evince the interest of the youngsters, when they know that they will be recognised and rewarded for their achievements. Such interest will undoubtedly extend to Rugby and Rugby League in which we do not often see Indian players, he added.
Mr Din said that his company would be able to reap the benefits of sponsorship, as sports unified people and families.
Easy decision
It took less than three minutes for Nilesh Prakash, Managing Director of Food 4 Less Supermarket (Otahuhu and New Lynn) to decide on the sponsorship of the ‘Best Senior Division Soccer Player of the Year’ category.
“It does not take long to decide on such a great initiative. We have always been with Indian Newslink to promote our company, its image, product and services and we see the Sports Awards Scheme as another great avenue to not only to enhance our image in the market but also encourage our sportsmen and sportswomen to improve their performance,” he said.
Mr Prakash said Soccer is a major sport in which the Indian Community is heavily involved, along with other ethnic groups.
“The Awards Scheme is a great way to encourage and support our young enthusiasts to participate in the sport they love,” he said.
Editor’s Note: The profiles of our other sponsors and judges will appear in our ensuing editions. Entry forms for the various categories of the Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards 2013 can be obtained from Ravin Lal.
Email: ravin@indiannewslink.co.nz
Completed forms must be sent by email only to smiityswv72@yahoo.co.nz on or before 6 pm on March 8, 2012. Entries sent by any other means to any other address will not be considered. The decision of the judges will be final and no correspondence will be entertained in this connection. For details, please call Ravin Lal 0n 021-753699.
