Long-standing Counties Tennis Association volunteer Glenn Hunter has been awarded Tennis New Zealand’s Te Tohu Hapai award for his service to the sport.

Hunter received the recognition last week at Tennis New Zealand’s awards ceremony in Wellington.

The prestigious award recognizes important and long contributions to the tennis community in New Zealand that goes above and beyond a regional level.

Hunter’s phenomenal connection to tennis in the region began with playing in 1962 and remarkably he is still playing 61 years later. He has been and is still a regular interclub player before adding Counties Vets to his resume from the 1990s.

A life member of the Patumahoe Tennis Club as well, Hunter began serving on the Counties Tennis committee in in 1974 and spent 48 years there until 2022.

He was president for nine years in four different stints while he has been the treasurer for the majority of that time as well as serving as team manager, tournament director, on various special committees and two stints as chairman.

Hunter was instrumental in Counties opting to be part of Auckland Tennis when Tennis New Zealand created six regions across the country – a move that has proven to be the right decision.

He helped merge Pukekohe Tennis Club and Counties Tennis Centre and has been a key driver behind the push for covered courts – a project that is currently underway.

Along the way Hunter was recognised with the Fair Play Award for services to sport by Counties Regional Sport and was made a life member of Counties Tennis in the 1990s while he was Counties Tennis Personality of the Year on two occasions.

Counties Tennis has been in operation for 98 years and Hunter has been a part of that for 48 years, in which he has rarely missed a committee meeting.

During that time he has been involved in Patumahoe Tennis for 40 years and Counties Racqueteers for 30 years.

“I said at the awards ceremony that I had been well rewarded by tennis; the friends, the experiences, the achievements and disappointments,” Hunter told Counties Sports Hub.

“I still enjoy competing but the recovery time, after an interclub match can takes 1–2 days.

“They did pass a comment at the awards evening, that it was good to present the award to someone who was still playing.”

Current Counties Tennis president Sharon Nelson paid tribute to an exceptional individual.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Glenn’s exceptional contributions to tennis in our region have been acknowledged and honoured by Tennis New Zealand through the Te Tohu Hapai award,” Nelson said.

“His unwavering dedication and tireless efforts over the years have significantly impacted and enriched our tennis community. This well-deserved recognition truly reflects the depth of his commitment and the positive influence he has had on the sport.

“Congratulations to Glenn on this well-earned achievement.”