Annual Tamariki Day Celebrates Maori Sports Awards

PANUI PAPAHO / MEDIA STATEMENT

Te 23 o nga ra o Whiringa-a-nuku 2003

KI A:

Chief Reporters

Sports Editors

Maori Affairs Reporters

ANNUAL TAMARIKI DAY CELEBRATES MAORI SPORTS AWARDS

The revival of traditional Maori games is one of the highlights of a massive children's day being held next month (Nov) to mark the annual Maori Sports Awards.

The 2003 Tamariki Sports and Cultural Day will be hosted this year by Te Kura Kaupapa Maori a Rohe o Mangere in South Auckland from 9.45am to 2pm on Friday, November 28 - a day before the official awards ceremony at the Auckland Showgrounds.

More than 1200 youngsters aged eight to 12 years from kura kaupapa Maori (Maori language immersion schools) from throughout South Auckland as well as Waitakere, North Harbour and central Auckland will converge on the Manukau rugby league fields to meet their favourite sports stars and participate in sporting activities.

Elite athletes such as Temepara Clarke, Eric Rush, Farah Palmer, Daniella Smith, Sean Sullivan, Rico Gear and members of the Auckland Warriors as well as kaiwhakahaere (Maori sports co-ordinators) from He Oranga Poutama will join the children in mass aerobics sessions as well as taking part in traditional Maori sports and weaponry demonstrations.

Each student will receive a t-shirt, bandana, stickers, key rings and a photo as well as food and drink on the day.

Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa executive director Richard (Dick) Garratt says the aim of the Tamariki Day is to foster pride and sports participation by young Maori and one of key messages this year is 'Always wear your seat belt'.

The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) is a major sponsor of this year's Maori Sports Awards and Tamariki Day along with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), Alcohol Liquor Advisory Council (ALAC), Auahi Kore (Smokefree), SPARC and the Ministry of Education.

"Schools get a chance to perform one cultural item on the day, and we're asked them to consider basing their performance around the safety belt message," Dick Garratt says. "If we want our kids to be the sports stars of tomorrow, they need to know how to look after themselves - keeping safe in cars and always wearing your safety belt is part of this."

Schools taking part this year include: Rosebank School Te Whanau Bilingual Unit; Freemans Bay Primary School; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hoani Waititi; Te Kura Kaupapa o Puau te Moana Nui a Kiwa; Newton Central Primary School; Mangere Central Primary School; Mountain View - Te Kura Tirohanga Maunga; Robertson Road Primary School; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori a Rohe o Mangere; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Tapuwae - Southern Cross School; Kingsford Primary School; Mangere East Primary School; Sutton Park Primary School; Finlayson Park; Te Kura Akonga o Manurewa; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Manurewa; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Maungarongo; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Raki Paewhenua; Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Piripono; Papatoetoe West Primary School; Rongomai Primary School; Pukekohe North Primary; and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o te Puaha o Waikato.

CAPTION: Organisers of this year's Tamariki Sports and Cultural Day: front row (from left to right) Joanne Fitzgerald (LTSA), Hine Cooper (Board of Trustees - Te Kura Kaupapa Maori a Rohe o Mangere), Henare Pryor (Kaumatua - Maori Sports Awards), Jim Perry (Principal - Te Kura Kaupapa Maori a Rohe o Mangere), Dick Garratt (Executive Director - Maori Sports Awards), Steve Kemble (Town and Country Hire); middle row (from left to right) Mahina Beeston (He Oranga Poutama - Sport Waitakere), Jeremy Murray (He Oranga Poutama - Counties Manukau Sport), Lucy Te Moana (Deputy Principal - Te Kura Kaupapa Maori a Rohe o Mangere), Te Atarangi Whiu (ALAC); and back row (from left to right) Peter Mokomoko (He Oranga Poutama - Counties Manukau Sport), Ross Gallagher (Manukau City Council), Lucy Ripia (He Oranga Poutama - Sport North Harbour) and Dobbie Martin (Ministry of Education).

ENDS

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