Northlanders finalists in Maori sports awards

Cameron Leslie is one of several Northland finalists in the Maori Sports Awards

Northland athletes are well to the fore in the list of finalists named for top honours at the 2016 Aotearoa Maori Sports Awards this month.

Maori representation at this year's Rio Summer Olympics included Northland's medal winners Portia Woodman, and paralympians Cameron Leslie and Emma Foy.

The glitzy awards event will also acknowledge world champions and teams who include a number of Northland waka ama paddlers.

The Kiwi's dominated the world championships held in Australia this year and showed the normally dominant Tahitian paddlers the New Zealand contingent were improving their training with some excellent results.

Paddlers Nyree King, from the Far North, and Richard Pehi, of Whangarei were both crowned world champions in their respective age divisions at the regatta.

In the disabled Maori Sports Person of the Year para-swimmer Leslie will be up against Dargaville's cycling exponent Emma Foy.

Sevens silver medallist Woodman will be up against double gold medallist kayaker Lisa Carrington, who was the flag bearer at the Rio Summer Olympics. Footballer Abbey Erceg is also a finalist in the sportswoman of the year.

For the first time in his long, successful career, multi world wood chopping champion Jason Wynyard will not feature in the Individual Maori world champions list for 2016.

Wynyard said: "I have had a disastrous year with injuries, ill health and machine failure".

However, he has just left for the last tournament the STIHL World Championships in Stutgart, in Germany.

The 26th black-tie awards ceremony will be hosted by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust at the Vodafone Events Centre, Manukau on Saturday, November 26.

The 2016 Maori Sports Awards recipients and finalists are:
ACC SPORTSMART MAORI OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC MEDALLISTS:
Lisa CARRINGTON (Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki) CANOE RACING
Cameron LESLIE (Ngapuhi) PARA-SWIMMING
Holly ROBINSON NgaI Tahu PARA-ATHLETICS
Emma FOY Ngapuhi PARA-CYCLING:

NZ WOMEN'S SEVENS;
Sarah GOSS (C) (Ngati Kahungunu)
Shakira BAKER (Ngati Kahungunu)
Gayle BROUGHTON (Ngati Ruahine, Ngati Ruanui)
Kayla McALLISTER (Te Atiawa)
Huriana MANUEL (Ngapuhi, Ngati Tuwharetoa)
Tyla NATHAN-WONG (Ngapuhi)
Terina Te TAMAKI (Te Arawa, Waikato, Ngati Maniapoto)
Ruby TUI (Ngāi Tahu)
Portia WOODMAN (Ngāpuhi)
Shiray TANE (Ngati Maniapoto)

INDIVIDUAL MAORI WORLD CHAMPIONS:
Tokomaru Taylor (Tainui, Taranaki) MUAY THAI
Tyrell Rapana (Ngati Wai) FIELD ARCHER
Sam Gaze Te Atiawa CYCLING
Lisa Carrington (Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki) CANOE RACING
Akayshia Williams (Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti) WAKA AMA
Nyree King (Waikato) WAKA AMA
Tia Akurangi (Ngati Porou, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngapuhi) WAKA AMA
Sonny (Richard) Pehi (Ngapuhi) WAKA AMA
Byron Chivers (Ngati Porou) MMA

MAORI WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS:
AOTEAROA NZ ELITE MENS V6 500 WAKA AMA TEAM
AOTEAROA NZ ELITE WOMEN V6 500 & 1500 WAKA AMA TEAM
AOTEAROA NZ JUNIOR 19 WOMENS 500 & 1000m WAKA AMA TEAM

NGA KAIWHIWHI MO NGA KARAHIPI - Maori Sports Awards Scholarships:
Manukau Institute of Technology Scholarships:
Bryston Takinui (Tainui) MANGERE COLLEGE
Robert Downes (Ngapuhi, Ngati Tuwharetoa) PAPAKURA HIGH SCHOOL
Skills Active Aotearoa Scholarship:
Ronin Ihaka Ainsley (Ngai Te Rangi) WRESTLING
Manukatoa MSA Watson & Son, Combat Sports Scholarship:
Reilly Polaschek (Ngai Te Rangi) KARATE

MAUI TIKITIKI-A-TARANGA - Maori Sports Administrator of the Year:
Marinna Millanta-Lowrey (Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngati Porou) WAKA AMA
Trevor Shailer (Ngati Kauwhata, Ngati Hauti) OLYMPIC GAMES
Harko Brown (Raukawa ki Waikato me Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara) KI-O-RAHI

TE TOIHUAREWA - Disabled Maori Sportsperson of the Year:
Cameron LESLIE (Ngapuhi) PARA-SWIMMING
Holly ROBINSON (NgaI Tahu) PARA-ATHLETICS
Emma FOY (Ngapuhi) PARA-CYCLING:

TE ARATIATIA - Maori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year:
Glen Warrick Jackson (Ngai Tahu) RUGBY
Amber Church (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki) HOCKEY
Kathy Cross (Ngati Maniapoto) CRICKET

NGA IKA A WHIRO - Maori Sports Team of the Year:
Aotearoa NZ Elite Mens V6 500 WAKA AMA TEAM
Maori All Blacks
Aotearoa NZ Elite Women V6 500 & 1500 WAKA AMA TEAM

TE MARU O TUMATAUENGA - Maori Sports Coach of the Year:
Colin Cooper (Ngati Pukenga) MAORI ALL BLACKS
Sean Horan (Ngai Tahu) RUGBY SEVENS
Kiwi Campbell (Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Porou) WAKA AMA

TE TAMAHINE-A-PAPATUANUKU - Junior Maori Sportswoman of the Year:
Maia Wilson (Te Wai-o-Hua, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) NETBALL
Akayshia Williams (Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti) WAKA AMA
Gayle Broughton (Ngāti Ruahine, Ngāti Ruanui) RUGBY SEVENS

TE TAMA-A-RANGINUI - Junior Maori Sportsman of the Year:
Reiko Ioane (Ngapuhi, Te Whanau a Apanui) RUGBY, RUGBY SEVENS
Faine KAHIA (Ngati Tuwharetoa) MOTOR RACING
Tokomaru Taylor (Tainui, Taranaki) MUAY THAI

HINEAHUONE - Senior Maori Sportswoman of the Year:
Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Ngati Porou) CANOEING RACING
Portia Woodman (Ngapuhi) RUGBY, RUGBY SEVENS
Joelle King (Ngati Porou) SQUASH
Susie Bates (Ngai Tahu) CRICKET
Abbey Erceg (Ngapuhi) FOOTBALL

TE TAMA-A-TANENUIARANGI - Senior Maori Sportsman of the Year:
Dane COLES (Ngati Porou) RUGBY
Shannon McILROY (Ngati Porou) LAWN BOWLS
Trent Bolt (Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Maru) CRICKET
Winstone Reid (Tainui, Te Rarawa) FOOTBALL
Jesse Bromwich (Ngati Porou, Ngapuhi) RUGBY LEAGUE