Coleman recognises Prime Minister’s Sport Scholarships recipients

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman extends his congratulations to the athletes and sports officials who have been awarded Prime Minister’s Sport Scholarships.

“The Prime Minister’s Sport Scholarships are an important boost for outstanding athletes, coaches, officials and support team members as they juggle the demands of sports and study,” says Dr Coleman.

“New Zealanders are rightly extremely proud of our high performance athletes. When they compete on the world stage they unite us as a nation and they inspire future generations to be the best they can be.

“Athletes like these make sacrifices when they represent their country, so we want to support them to ensure they can combine their sporting and academic aspirations. These scholarships are part of that support package.”

The Government invests around $4.25 million in the programme annually and scholarships are awarded through High Performance Sport New Zealand.

This year 375 athletes have been awarded scholarships including 28 who are undertaking study after retiring from sport. 35 scholarships have been awarded to coaches, 37 to officials and 147 to support team members.

The athletes agree a study plan in conjunction with High Performance Sport New Zealand and can then apply for up to $10,000 a year to cover academic fees. Support can also be provided to cover some study-related costs.

Several ceremonies are held throughout the country to recognise scholarship recipients, and Dr Coleman is speaking tonight at the function in Auckland where about 100 recipients will receive certificates.

The 2014 scholarship recipients include:
· Olympic gold medallist Lisa Carrington, who has completed a BA majoring in Maori Studies and Politics from Massey University.

· Men’s hockey Black Stick Shay Neal, who has completed his law degree and recently been admitted to the Bar.

· Sport and exercise student Michael Cochrane, who set a new 400m New Zealand hurdle record in February.

· All Blacks Sevens captain DJ Forbes who is studying for a Bachelor of Applied Management at Otago Polytechnic.

· Olympic yachting gold medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie who are both undertaking Bachelor of Business Studies degrees from Massey University.

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