Throw for Gold Youngsters Collect Four Gold Medals

Throw for Gold Youngsters Collect Four Gold Medals at Secondary Schools Championships

Auckland, 20 December 2011: Three young Manukau athletes recently provided clear proof that the future of shot and discus throwing is in safe hands.

Sisters Tina and Ofa Hakeai (Auckland Girls Grammar) and Sam Ulufonua (Auckland Grammar) won four gold medals between them at the recent New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics Championships in Wellington, and according to their coach, Nigel Edwards, they will be back at school next year.

Edwards is the head coach for ‘Throw for Gold’ - one of the programmes initiated by the John Walker ‘Find You Field of Dreams Foundation’ - to identify and develop future sporting champions from Manukau. And he says the results achieved by the youngsters “exceeded all expectations.”

Launched just over 12 months ago, ‘Throw for Gold’ is an initiative bought to the Foundation by SPARC CEO Peter Miskimmin, who saw real potential for Manukau, with its large Polynesian population, as the ideal base to produce a new generation of male and female champions from the throws disciplines. Funding was provided by The Lion Foundation and SPARC, with Athletics New Zealand delivering the programme.

Last year Edwards took 16 youngsters to the National Secondary Schools Championships and the team returned home with one gold medal, gained by Tina Hakeai in the senior schools shot put, and six other medals. This year a team of 24 picked up four golds and seven silver and bronze medals.

Two of the golds this year went to Tina and younger sister, Ofa, from Mangere. Tina won the senior girls shot (13.63m) and Ofa the junior girls discus (37.03m), while 15 year old Ulufonua captured the junior discus and shot put double, with personal bests in both events.

“It’s always difficult singling out individuals, but we had three outstanding performances,” Edwards says. “In the junior girls shot put, ‘Throw for Gold’ athletes filled the first four placings, Sam - who only started athletics a year ago - dominated the junior boys shot and discus and Tina and Ofa completed a golden double.”

Tina and Ofa each won a gold, Tina gold in the senior shot and silver in the discus, while 13 year old Ofa won the junior discus and took bronze in the shot put.

“We’ve gone back through the records and in the 35 year history of the National Secondary Schools Championships this is the first time that sisters have won four medals, including two golds, between them. Ofa will still be a junior next year and I understand Tina is going back for a final year.”

Sam, who gave up a chance of playing 1st XV rugby this year at Grammar, won the discus with a throw of 53.95m and followed that up with victory in the junior shot with a winning throw of 16.36m. “He is a rare talent with so much potential, and certainly one to watch out for,” Edwards says.

In junior girls discus, Ofa, who threw 37.03m - a personal best - was followed home by Brooke Urquhart (Howick College), Xhavinae Samuel (St Kentigerns College) and Chastity Tugag-Maxwell (Epsom Girls Grammar).

Edwards says he believes this is the first time athletes from a single team had taken the first four placings at the National Secondary Schools Championships. And all four girls will still be juniors next year.

“We were confident of doing well, but to come home with four golds and seven silver and bronze medals was an incredible performance. And all credit to the youngsters and their coaches,” says Edwards.

Ends

© Scoop Media