TCI puts in $300,000 as an event partner in WYNC and PMG

Cook Islands News Saturday 18 July 2009:

Tennis and weightlifting will benefit the most from $300,000 worth of sponsorship from Telecom Cook Islands going towards the Pacific Mini Games.
Telecom’s official sponsorship of the games and the world youth netball championships was officially announced yesterday.
At the end of the month the ‘Telecom Sports Arena’, known until now as the new multi-sports complex in Nikao, will be opened by the new event partner as part of its sponsorship agreement. Naming rights for the stadium are for a period of three years.
Telecom is providing the games with products and services to a value of $250,000 and $50,000 in cash.
TCI will also invest about $250,000 in upgrading its internet and mobile phone network to cater for the expected extra demand during the netball and games events.
A permanent cellular tower will go up at Tereora and additional bandwidth for the mobile network and internet will be part of the infrastructure investment.
Acting TCI CEO Jules Maher said the company was delighted to be associated with the two major sporting events of the year.
“Telecom relies on the community for its success as a business and this is a great opportunity to give something back to the community. A real bonus is that our customers will continue to benefit for years to come from the additional telecommunications infrastructure we are building at this time.”
Each tier one sponsor gets to choose two sports that it will support during the games, and Telecom has chosen weightlifting and tennis.
Other sponsors of the games will have a separate signing ceremony next week. Yesterday several of them were invited to the ceremony held at Telecom, including major partner Bank of the Cook Islands and Turtles owners Chris and Nana McKinley.
Maher said Telecom is backing the launch of a great vaka – the dual sporting events.
“It’s a fantastic vaka to launch, but with every new vaka there are concerns about whether it will float, go straight and has enough paddlers.”
“Today we are adding our oe (paddle) to the vaka,” he said.
Games minister Wilkie Rasmussen acknowledged Telecom for its support. Oceania netball federation president and member of the international federation Tina Browne said the netball championships will really benefit from Telecom’s sponsorship.
“Sponsors actually make or break an event. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s only getting better and better. I think the support you have provided will ensure that we run a successful event.” - HG

Friday 20th November 2009 Traditional Blessing of Vakas and Registration
Saturday 21st November 2009 OC1 Iron Races
Sunday 22nd November 2009 Day Of Rest
Monday 23rd November 2009 V6 Iron Races
Tuesday 24th November 2009 Junior Races
Charity Boiler Swim
Wednesday 25th November 2009 Muri Sprints – all divisions
Muri Mingler Party
Thursday 26th November 2009 Junior Races
Junior Medal Presentations
Friday 27th November 2009 Pacific Cup Mens V6 Round Raro Relay
Pacific Paddle Womens V6 Round Raro Relay
Steinlager Official Paddles Up Party


Friday 20th November 2009
What: Traditional Blessing of Vaka's
When: 5pm
Where: Avarua Wharf
There will be a traditional blessing of the vakas, followed by final registration where all indemnity forms must be signed and handed in. All paddlers already on the island must register. Once paddlers have signed the indemnity form they will receive a security identification wristband. This must be kept on for the whole week. You will not be allowed on to the water without the wristband. There will be a different colour wristband for each different division.

All fees for the OC1 races MUST be paid on Friday night in order to compete in Saturday’s OC1 races, otherwise allocated OC1’s will be given to other paddlers who do pay their fees.

For any paddlers not yet on the island, the registration desk will be open prior to all races and paddlers are asked to register as early as they can. Indemnity forms must be signed by EVERY participating paddler – no going on the water until the form is signed. Paddlers Packs will also be given in return for the signed indemnity forms.

And then...

Friday night is Party Night in Raro!!!! The registration desk is a stone’s throw away from The Vaka Bar at Trader Jacks - the centre of the paddling universe! ^back to top


Saturday 21st November 2009

What: Master Women’s OC1 Iron (12km) 35 and over
When: 7am Registration with 8am Race Start
Where: Avarua Wharf – Matavera Point – Avarua Wharf

What: Master Men’s OC1 Iron (12km) 40 and over
When: 9.30am Registration with 10.30am Race Start
Where: Avarua Wharf – Matavera Point – Avarua Wharf

What: Open Women’s OC1 Avana Iron Challenge (18km)
When: 12noon Registration with 1pm Start
Where: Avarua Wharf – Avana – Avarua Wharf

What: Open Men’s OC1 Avana Iron Challenge (18km)
When: 2pm Registration with 3pm Start
Where: Avarua Wharf – Avana – Avarua Wharf

What: Medal and Trophy Presentations for OC1 Races followed by the Official Opening of Vaka Eiva 2007 (maybe this should read "Closing" and "2009")
When: 5pm
Where: Avarua Harbour

Source: www.vakaeiva.com

Cook Islands News Thursday 16 July 2009: Jamaica’s under-21 netballers received a surprise JAM$1 million donation (NZ$18,545) from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), towards their expenses for the World Youth Netball Championships (WYNC), which will be in the Cook Islands from August 10 to 20.
Minister of sports Olivia Grange, along with SDF chairman David Mais, handed over the cheque to Marva Bernard, president of the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) at a function last week to relaunch the Sunshine Girls website at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. The amount brings the SDF contribution to the young Sunshine Girls to JAM$2 million.
Grange told The Gleaner after the handover that the government was delighted to assist the JNA.
“We have committed JAM$2 million in support of their programmes to go to the Cook Islands for the tournament and any other support that is possible on our part, we will give them to realise their goal,” said Grange. “Their outfits were manufactured locally and this signals the fact that sports is also helping manufacturers.” - RB

Monday 29 June 2009:

The national under 21 netball team are on track with their training for the World Youth Netball Championships in August, according to Cook Islands Netball Association president Margharet Matenga.
As host of the event, the Cook Islands will play the opening match of the championships against Pool B opponents Wales.
This match will be played after the opening ceremony of the championships on Monday August 10 at 2.30pm.
As part of the Cook Islands teams final preparations, the squad will head into an intense camp from July 14 to 19.
Coinciding with the camp is the squad’s fundraiser.
Matenga says that the team held a fundraiser evening on Friday June 17 at the well known Cook Islands night club in downtown Papatoetoe.
Matenga says that the evening also served as the launch of the team’s WYNC uniforms.
“The girls’ parents are real keen,” says Matenga.
“And because the girls in the team are from New Zealand and Australia, it’s only fair to hold the fundraiser on that side and have the community there support the girls.”
Matenga will head to New Zealand in July to support fundraising activities and check on the team’s progress.
Matenga says that the team are scheduled to arrive on Rarotonga on August 5 for the championships.
The Cooks have been drawn in Pool B along with England, Malaysia, Wales and Vanuatu.
The WYNC will open on Monday August 10 followed by the first game between the Cooks and Wales.
Between Tuesday August 11 and Saturday August 15 pool games will be played.
Monday August 17 will see the quarter finals played out with the semi finals to follow on Tuesday August 18.
Final play offs for placings 9-12 will be held on Wednesday August 20 while the final matches for placings 1-8 including the grand final and closing ceremony will be held on Thursday August 20. - MW

Friday 26 June 2009:

Geneva Maroroa (pictured with ball) of the Fairies men’s netball team put the Cook Islands mini games netball squad through their paces last weekend.
The men’s team, lead by netball stalwart Tex Tangimetua, have been helping out with the mini games team preparation for the event in September.
The men’s team have certainly given the mini games team some physical games and given head coach Mii Maui the opportunity to iron out the kinks in her team.
The mini games team will really be tested next month during a three test series tournament when they will play the Fairies plus a ‘best of the rest’ Rarotonga selection.
The Rarotonga selection hit the Avatiu courts last Saturday to make sure they are as ready as they can to give the national team a really good run before the games.
Under the guidance of Tai Manavaroa the team hope to provide a tough and physical game for the mini games team.
The three test series will be held on 9, 10 and 11 June and the Cook Islands Netball Association hope to be able to use the new multi sports complex in Nikao for the event but if this is not possible the games will be played at the National Auditorium.
Don’t forget the squad’s runathon fundraiser tomorrow, Saturday, June 27. The team members are sill looking for sponsors – call anyone in the squad or CINA if you are interested in sponsorship.
The squad – and supporters -- will assemble on the main road near The Bond Liquor Store, opposite the Punanga Nui market at 6.45am. The runathon will start at 7am. – MW

Cook Islands News Friday 26 June 2009:

The ‘adopt a country’ programme for both the World Youth Netball Championships and the Pacific Mini Games was launched on Thursday at the PR centre in Avarua.
The ministry of education was thanked for their support in allowing the schools on Rarotonga and outer islands to take part in the programme.
Schools picked a country from a hat, which they will support at the August netball championships and the mini games in September.
Around 80 people gathered at the PR centre to witness the event with Tatari Mitchell heading the programme as coordinator.
Only Rarotonga schools were selected for the WYNC adopt a country programme as school will still be in progress during the event.
However outer island schools will take part in the programme for the Pacific Mini Games.
The main responsibility of each school and its students is to cheer and support its adopted country. Some schools have been allocated more than one country.
Schools and their adopted countries for the WYNC are St Joseph’s (Australia), Takitumu (Barbados), Rutaki (USA), Arorangi (England, Fiji), Avatea (Botswana, Malawi), Imanuela Akatemia (Ireland), Avarua (Jamaica, Vanuatu), Te Uki Ou (Malaysia), Titikaveka College (New Zealand, Singapore), Tereora College (South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales), Nikao (Papua New Guinea), Nukutere (Scotland, Samoa).
For the Pacific Mini Games – schools will support the team which will stay at their school while outer islands schools have been included in the programme.
Schools and their adopted country are Mauke (Nauru), Atiu (Tuvalu), Mitiaro (Solomon Islands), Mangaia (Tokelau), Imanuela Akatemia (American Samoa), Aitutaki (Niue), Arorangi (Fiji), Nikao (Samoa), Avarua (Vanuatu), Rutaki (Wallis and Fortuna), Papaaroa College (Tonga), Tereora College (Kiribati, Federated State of Micronesia), Te Uki Ou (Norfolk Island), Nikao (Papua New Guinea), Titikaveka College (Cook Islands), Nukutere College (Samoa), Avatea (Tahiti) and St Joseph’s (New Caledonia). - MW