Top athletes awarded scholarships
Top athletes awarded scholarships
Thirty-six talented
athletes from the central North Island tonight received
Prime Minister's Athlete Scholarships to help them reach
their sporting and educational goals, Sport and Recreation
Minister Trevor Mallard announced today.
The 36 athletes are amongst a group of over 550 nationwide who were offered scholarships this year, up from over 400 in 2004.
Trevor Mallard presented the scholarships at the New Zealand Academy of Sport Central in Wellington.
The Prime Minister's Scholarships are a government initiative established in 2000 to help athletes pursue academic or trade studies as well as sporting careers. The scholarships are administered by SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) through their high performance network, the New Zealand Academy of Sport.
"Our government has committed $5 million each year for this programme because we want to support sportspeople who are striving for excellence in their field. These scholarships help relieve some of the pressure on athletes who are struggling to balance their sporting and academic lives." Trevor Mallard said.
"It is important that sportspeople have some balance in their lives and that they take steps to prepare for life after sport. Studying for a tertiary qualification while training in their sport ensures that other opportunities will exist for them once they retire."
Today's scholarship recipients include Black Sticks hockey players and Olympians Niniwa Roberts-Lang and Beth Jurgeleit. The Black Sticks earned a top 6 world ranking in Athens. Paralympic swimmer Sarah Powell who finished 8th in the 400m freestyle in Athens was also a recipient.
Trevor Mallard said athletes receiving these scholarships will have their full tertiary fees paid, up to $10,000 per annum.
Scholarships are available to
athletes who are currently carded by their national sport
organisation and accessing services linked to the New
Zealand Academy of Sport, or to athletes from non-carded
sports who are prioritised by their national sport
organisation.
Name Sport Hometown
Matthew
Adams Soccer Napier
Maehe Austin Rugby Opoutama
Liana
Barrett-Chase Netball Palmerston North
Susan
Blundell Beach Volleyball Tauranga
Sean
Brown Touch Hawera
Anne Cairns Wild Water Kayaking &
White Water Rafting Palmerston North
Mathew
Cameron BMX New Plymouth
Monique
Coleman Fencing Wellington
Shannon
Clayton Swimming Wellington
Angela
Croad Hockey Palmerston North
Edwin Crossling Cycling
(Road) Wellington
Joshua Davis Rugby League Upper
Hutt
Michael Dawson Slalom Kayaking Tauranga
Robert
Foreman Rugby Pahiatua
Hannah Gloyn Equestrian
(Eventing) Palmerston North
Tim
Gyles Hockey Wellington
Piers Gordon Underwater
Hockey Wellington
Tim
Hawkes Athletics Wellington
Richard
Hearn Shooting Wellington
James
Hill Cricket Wellington
Sarah Jane Jones Roller
Skating Lower Hutt
Beth
Jurgeleit Hockey Wellington
Eamon Lui
Fakaotimanava Waterpolo Lower Hutt
Sam
Mallard Triathlon Wellington
Richard Maxwel Underwater
Hockey Wellington
Miah Nikova Rugby Wellington
Timothy
O'Hara Judo Wanganui
Natalie Page Equestrian
(Eventing) Levin
Tania Perrett Canoe Polo Nelson
Sarah
Powell Paralympics Swimming Napier
Niniwa
Roberts-Lang Hockey Wellington
Kristina Jane
Sue Touch Palmerston North
DavidThomsen In Line
Hockey Palmerston North
James Trevena-Brown In Line
Hockey Paraparaumu
Martin Van
Barneveld Triathlon Wellington
Victor
Vito Rugby Wellington