World Champion wins Central Hawke’s Bay top sports award

World Champion wins Central Hawke’s Bay top sports award

World Champion cyclist and Rio Olympic hopeful, cyclist Regan Gough has taken out the top award at the Central Hawke’s Bay Sports Awards held in Waipukurau.

Gough won the CHB Mail Supreme Award on Friday night after earlier winning the Wright Wool Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year title.

Gough, the most medaled junior track cyclist in the history of New Zealand cycling, has had an epic couple of years.

His recent medal haul includes a Gold Medal in the Madison at the 2015 UCI World Championships along with two Golds, Silver and a Bronze at last year's Junior World Championships in South Korea.

Regan is not the first Gough to win the Supreme Award, with his cousin Westley Gough winning the award in 2008 and 2012.

Rounding out a successful evening for the Gough family, Dean Gough was recognised for his contribution to sport with a Service to Sport Award being presented on the evening.

Other winners on the night included Otane Sports Club, which took out the Aqua Management Club of the Year Award. Two of clubs three netball teams went through the season unbeaten. The Thirsty Whale Otane Force side winning the Hawke’s Bay Netball Super 6 Premier Competition and Otane Netball team winning Hawke’s Bay Netball’s CHB Venue Premier Grade. Along with this success the club’s senior rugby team won the Hawke’s Bay Premier Reserve division.

The club’s netball coach Annemarie Kupa won the CHB Physiotherapy Coach of the Year and the netball team were joint winners of the Central FM Senior Team of the Year. It shared the award with the successful Onga-Tiko Colts rugby team.

Otago Highlanders and Hawke’s Bay Magpies prop Brendan Edmonds took out the Ruahine Motors Senior Male Sportsperson of the Year title after winning the Super 15 title along with the ITM Cup Championship title respectively.

The Sport Hawkes’s Bay organised awards marked 20 years the awards have been run, recognising a wide range of sporting roles, including individual athletes, coach’s, administrators, teams, clubs and those who have provided an outstanding service to sport. From a discussion held by CHB Mails Bruce Doran 20 years ago, to a sold out event at the AW Parsons Centre in 2015, the event has grown to play an important role in celebrating sport from all levels from throughout the region.

A highlight of this year’s event was special guest, former All Black Ian Jones who was able to relive moments from an illustrious All Black career, and captivating the crowd in doing so. Jones was also on hand to help raise $2000 for the CHB Sports Academy, helping auction off a signed 2015 All Blacks rugby ball.

Five sport stalwarts were given service to sport awards – Ron Dick (clay target shooting), Dean Gough (cycling), Kelly Graham (rugby), Warwick Slingsby (rugby) and Jane Wyn-Harris (tennis).

Equestrian legend Tiny (Helen) White was inducted into the CDP Print Central Hawke’s Bay Sports Hall of Fame. White, who rode for New Zealand in dressage, won many of the nation’s most prestigious trophies, including Lady Rider of the Year, and the Lowry Medallion for Rider of the Year.

She was inducted into the Horse of the Year Hall of Fame in 2009, and her family has followed in her footsteps in the horse world. Daughter Tinks Potttinger is a former Olympic eventer, and granddaughter Amanda Pottinger show jumps.

White was made patron of ESNZ in 2007 and was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours in 2010.

ENDS

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