Rotorua's Kingi Biddle among world's best

Kingi Biddle's "gift of the gab" has taken him to the top of the world - a top placing at the World Championship Public Speaking competition in Las Vegas.

The Rotorua man made it to the top nine at the weekend, qualifying for the event after winning the NZ International Prepared Speech award at the national Toastmasters convention earlier this year.

The Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking is considered the Olympics of oratory.

Speakers are judged on content, organisation, gestures and style.

Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell was so impressed with Mr Biddle's world-beating feat he sent out a press release congratulating him.

"I am so proud of Kingi's commitment and determination to get to Las Vegas and represent Aotearoa," the Maori Party MP said. "This has been a real whanau effort. His whanau, his wife Wendy and the whole community have supported Kingi, helping to raise funds to enable his tamariki and whanau to travel with him as kaitautoko (supporters).

"We always knew Kingi had the gift of the gab - but it's so exciting to see those gifts putting Aotearoa on the world map in yet another enterprise."

Mr Kingi is of Ngati Whakaue, Te Arawa, descent, is on Rotorua District Council's Te Arawa Standing Committee and is a trustee of Te Arawa Lakes Trust.

Mr Kingi won his club, area, district and New Zealand speech titles with a speech about the power of saying "hello".

After winning the national title, he told The Daily Post that speaking in front of 400 experienced speakers at the national competition was nerve-wracking and he had no idea how he would cope in front of the thousands of people expected at the world competition, held this year at Bally's Las Vegas hotel.

Mr Biddle said the key to his success were the experiences he enjoyed while growing up in Rotorua and "the power one can find in just saying hello to people".