Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate wins new Court Kings basketball court

Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Senior School in Otara has won a new custom-made basketball court through the Own the Court compeition. Photo / NZME

Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Senior School has won a new basketball court in the Herald's Own the Court competition.

The decile one school in Ōtara received 1,314 votes from the public, winning it a custom-made basketball court worth up to $50,000 from Court Kings.

Principal Kiri Turketo has fought hard for her school, having even tried to reach out to New Zealand's own Steven Adams for support.

Turketo said, "I feel like an aunty that's just won the jackpot!"

Kiri Turketo, principal of the senior school at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara, said she felt "like an aunty who has just won the jackpot!" Photo / NZME

"We work our butts off in Ōtara. It's nice to get recognition for something from the community, especially in a community with lots of Māori and Pasifika," she said.

Turketo said her students were "over the moon, jumping around", as the school usually misses out on resources other schools had.

The school's current makeshift basketball court had to be shared with netballers, which Turketo said resembled "an NBA game" during lunchtime.

Turketo was first alerted to the competition after channel-surfing through to Flava FM's announcement. "When I got to school I found the link and I made an impassioned plea to staff and students to nominate the school."

She wanted to thank the school's staff, students and the wider community for helping achieve, what Turketo called, "a mental and emotional win, and a win for our hearts."

"We're ecstatic, were humbled, but this isn't just about us. It's a community of believers and backers, even strangers helping us who don't even know us," she said.

While Turketo never got a response from basketball great Steven Adams, she said if he turned up to play on the school's new court he could have a bit of competition from students.

"Hey Steve, call me - all the students here already want to take you on."

Turketo said Ōtara was often underestimated but said her school was an "underdog".

The school's win comes at an excellent time, as term 3 nears its end. Turketo said, "I think we're all very tired, but this just shows there are some fruits in the labour."

Bevan Williamson, from Court Kings, said, "you could tell [Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate] were hungry for it.

"It's awesome to see the response to the competition. We're so glad it's gone to the right school and we think it's going to be well-deserved."