Sports Development Unit 2008 Report

Introduction The Sports Development Unit (SDU) within CISNOC is staffed by three full time staff:

Robert Graham SPORTS MANAGER

Siniva Marsters Elizabeth Tou SPORTS DEVELOPMENT SPORTS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OFFICER

Throughout the year the SDU assist, support and participate in achieving National Federations and Island Associations goals and objectives, some of these programs are listed below in this report.

Development • Outer Island Development Sports Administration Development program with the islands in the Manea Zone, carried out , which are the southern group Islands in areas of Organisational Structure, Constitution, Competition Management, and the Development of Business Planning, this was conducted and carried out from April – July 2008. This program is carried out every second year, whereby keeping each of the Island Association currently updated and in tune with Sports Administration in the and the rest of the world.

The SDU is in the process of planning and putting together similar program for the Purapura Zone (Northern Group Islands), scheduled for early 2010.

Part of the Outer Island Development was to promote and advise each IA of the purposes and consequences of Drugs in Sports. George Paniani Chairman of the Cook Islands Medical & Anti Doping Organisation (CIMADO) also carried out workshops and the establishment of each Islands Medical Commission within their own Sports Association (Commission within)

• Junior Development With the success of the 2006 & 2007 Potiki Sports Program that was conducted in the afternoons and Saturday mornings, National Federations took the initiative to do junior programs within their Federation but nevertheless that the SDU ensured that we were always available for assistance to these programs held.

The SDU continue with their annual Primary & Secondary School Program during each term. o Term 1 Volleyball & Soccer o Term 2 & Rugby Union o Term 3 Athletics o Term 4 Touch Rugby

The SDU visit the Primary schools to seek what assistance they need from the Unit, however the SDU out in the schools coaching/training the children and also having workshops with the teachers to help them out with all the different sports during each term. Also at the end of each term an Inter Primary School Competition is held for all the sports conducted during each term. Again the SDO’s assisted the National Federations and the Primary Schools Organising Committee with the coordinating of the competition/results

Cook Island & Zone Games • Manea Games Zone Games Aitutaki was the last of the Manea Zone Islands to host, making these games memorable as all Islands within the zone have hosted, thus completing the cycle of the Manea Zone. Since 1998 the Manea Zone Games have been organised and co‐ordinated as a Sport for All events, promoting the Olympic Values, also a development area whereby targeted athletes have been selected to represent the Cook Islands at regional and international competitions. Tereapii Tapoki (Athletics / Discus) is one who has come through, and today she is the current record holder the discipline of discus in Athletics.

These games saw a larger number of participants as seen at previous games, reaching 480 athletes through 10 sports, with 68 Team officials and 36 CISNOC & NF representatives. Aitutaki conducted the games to that of a level seen at Pacific Games. Mangaia will get to host the 2011 Manea Games, making it 13 years from when they hosted it last and as the first host of the Mangaia Games in 1998.

(report attached… Appendix A)

• Cook April 2009 Following the 2008 Manea Games, preparation for the Cook Islands Games started by looking at the 15 sports on the 2009 program, followed by the high profiled sports within the Cook Islands, Volleyball and Football as been part of the games program. The Cook Islands Games were deferred from April 2008 to April 2009 as to use it as a test event for the 2009PMG.

With these games been used as a test event, the 2009PMGOC will Manage and co‐ ordinate the events, using its management and technical staff, as to run the games as close as possible to the Mini Games. Problems and concerns from these games will assist in making the upcoming Mini Games better than ever.

• Purapura 2010 Following the Manea Zone Games Penrhyn Island was advised that their preparation needs to start and that a team from CISNOC will be heading over in the first part of 2009 calendar for training and setting up the Organising Committee for the 2010 Purapura Games. These Purapura Games will be the 3rd within its zone, with Pukapuka hosting the 1st in 2003 and Manihiki the 2nd in 2006, both successful games.

Regional & International A total of 4 athletes and 4 coaches, plus 3 CISNOC team management represented the Cook Islands during the XXII Beijing Olympic Games held in Beijing, China from 6th – 24th August 2008.

Team Cook Islands Chef de Mission Paul Allsworth Administration Delegate Nga Rima Team Attache George Williamson

Athletics Siniva Marsters Manager / Coach Patrick Hallier Coach Gordon Heather Athlete Tereapii Tapoki Athlete

Swimming Ray Preston Manager / Coach Petero Okotai Athlete

Weightlifting Sam Pera Snr Manager / Coach Sam Pera Jnr Athlete

CISNOC Tiki Matapo President Mii Matapo Guest of President Rosie Blake Secretary General Tereau Francis Guest of Secretary General

Achievements gained at the games: o Gordon Heather ran a Personal Best in the Men’s 100m (heats) with a time of 11.41s. o Sam Pera Jnr lifted a Personal Best of 320kg, 10 kg increase.

Beijing Olympic Youth Camp In celebration of the XXIX Olympic Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games (BOCOG) continued the tradition of the Olympic Movement through the 2008 Olympic Youth Camp (OYC) program. This program provides the opportunity of a lifetime for two (2) Cook Islanders (1 male & 1 female) to be part of an International Cultural Program during the Olympic Games.

This program brought together young people, under the age of 18, from all around the world in a cross – cultural exchange program that not only promotes the spirit of Olympism but allows our Olympic Youth representatives to be youth ambassadors for the Cook Islands. The two nominee’s, Kristopher Williamson and Ordile Pauka had submitted their applications through to the National Olympic Committee office and were selected by the Chef de Mission and High Performance Commission.

The youth ambassadors, Kristopher and Ordile joined up with over 600 other young people from the National Olympic Committees around the world. Part of the cultural exchange program, a presentation on the youth ambassadors country was presented in cultural form, with Kristopher presenting a Ariki chant and dance and Ordile performing an Action song and drum dance.

The program ran for 21 days from (5‐19 August, 2008) and the pair were exposed to a variety of activities.

Commonwealth Youth Games A total of 12 athletes and 3 officials represented the Cook Islands during the III held in Pune, from 12th‐ 18th October 2008.

The Cook Islands participated in 4 sports namely Athletics, Table , Tennis and Weightlifting. In the individual event, top participation went to our young elite athlete from the Outer Islands, namely the island of Mauke, who competed in the Mens Javelin and threw a Personal Best and Cook Islands National Record of 55.69m.

After Denis Taripo’s achievements, he was selected in the Oceania team for Javelin and Shotput at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival (held in January 2009).

Team Cook Islands Officials General Team Manager George Hosking Team Official John Teiti Team Official Sam Pera Snr

Athletes Athletics Daniel Tutai (Aitutaki) – Javelin, Shotput, Discus Denis Taripo (Mauke) – Javelin, Shotput, Discus Kristopher Williamson – High Jump Gordon Heather – Men’s 100m Maki Samantha Lockington – Women’s 100m, Long Jump – Women’s 100m, Long Jump Kerryn Hunt – Singles / Doubles Louisa Manico – Singles / Doubles Tennis Elias Tukaroa – Singles Norah Browne – Singles / Doubles Maeva‐Leigh Iro – Singles / Doubles Weightlifting Sirla Pera – 77kg

Conclusion 2008 like past years proved to be a successful year in the development of sports throughout the Cook Islands. With the new year, 2009 will see the Sports Development Unit monitoring the preparation of our athletes for the Cook Islands Games, World Youth Netball Championships and the 8th Pacific Mini Games.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Federations and Island Associations for their continuing assistance and support in making the development of sports throughout the Cook Islands easier and more efficient.

Meitaki Maata e Kia Manuia