Black Sticks hockey star Simon Child won Sportsman of the Year and took out the overall award at the Honda New Zealand Sporting Excellence Awards on Thursday night.
Run by Counties Manukau Sport and hosted at the Manukau Sports Bowl, Child was selected for the overall gong ahead of Sportswoman of the Year Katie Doar (Hockey) and the Otahuhu Softball Premier Women’s Team, who took out Team of the of the Year.
He beat out trampoline stars Dylan Schmidt and Regan Langford, rugby players Cam Roigard (All Blacks) and Jonathan Taumateine (Samoa) and stock car driver Scott Tennant to win Sportsman of the Year.
Black Sticks women’s star Doar headed off other finalists Loran Parker (softball), Lisa Cross (running), Natasha Chang (Special Olympics), Natalia Rankin-Chitar (athletics) and Havana Hopman (gymnastics) to win Sportswoman of the Year.
The national champion Otahuhu Softball Premier Women took out a fiercely contested Team of the Year ahead of Franklin United Football Men’s First Team, Manurewa Rugby Premier Men’s Team, Manukau Rovers Rugby Premier Men’s Team and TTT Runners – all worthy winners in their own right.
Motor-racing start Liam Lawson won the International Sportsperson of the Year after successfully making his Formula 1 debut – just the 10th New Zealander in history to achieve the feat. He edged fellow motorsport rivals Shane van Gisbergen and Scott Dixon as well as Tall Blacks basketballers Reuben Te Rangi and Shea Ili and baseballer Jason Matthews.
Special Olympics Howick Pakuranga won the Club of the Year Award in another tight battle while TTT Runner’s mentor James Kuegler won a hotly contested Coach of the Year Award.
Runner Lisa Cross claimed the Masters Athlete of the Year while Janine Glover (Icon Trampoline) took out the Referee/Umpire/Official of the Year.
Katie Unkovich was named Administrator of the Year for her work with Icon Trampoline.
Charli Gardiner-Hall from Waiuku Athletics was named Junior Sportswoman of the Year with Cohen Bailey (Softball/Alfriston College) named Junior Sportsman of the Year.
The Junior Team of the Year went to the Kings College Mixed Tennis Team.
Service to Sport awards were presented to Papatoetoe Olympic Weightlifting Club’s Simon Kent, Icon Trampoline’s Alana Costley and Counties Manukau Gymnastics’ Diane Cunningham.
The following people were given Volunteer of the Year recognition – David Johnson (Papakura City Football), Annabel French (Icon Trampoline), Adele Adams (Special Olympics Howick Pakuranga), Keegan Wilks-Jasmat (Southern Districts Hockey), Viki Vaoga (Papatoetoe Rugby), Reinier Veenhuijen (Onewhero Pukekohe Hockey), Carla Hayes (Manurewa Rugby) and Corina Keating (Counties Manukau Gymnastics).
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