Students aim for title defence

ON A MISSION: The Kaitao Middle School girls' basketball team are returning to the Aims Games next week to try to defend their title. Pictured are Waiata Jennings, 11, alongside the rest of her team. Photo / STEPHEN PARKER 130913SP1

Kaitao Middle School are looking to defend their basketball title when they attend the Aims Games, the biggest intermediate-aged sporting event in New Zealand.

Kaitao is one of 193 schools attending the 10th Annual Aims Games next week in Tauranga.

The Kaitao girls' basketball team won a gold medal at the Aims Games last year and will return next week to try to defend the title.

Coach Andrew McKay said they were a relatively young side this year but had been training hard for the international competition.

"We are going back to defend the title," he said.

"We only have two girls from last year and the rest are all brand new but training has been going good and we have a good shot at making the top four.

"So hopefully we have a good run of results and will make it back into the final to defend our title."

McKay said the school had won two Aims Games gold medals in the school's history, with the other gold medal won by Tania Tapsell in the cross country competition 10 years ago.

The school is taking a 35-strong team to Tauranga to compete in six of the 16 sports on offer at the games.

Kaitao principal Rory O'Rourke said it was always a great occasion for the students attending.

"It is a great experience for them. The Aims Games are very popular and it is good for our kids to get over there and mix with other schools from all over the country."

Ten schools from the Rotorua area will be taking teams over to Tauranga next week, including Kaharoa School, Rotorua Intermediate, Mokoia Intermediate, Te Koutu, John Paul College, Chapman College, Ngakuru School, Galatea School, Reporoa College, and Kaitao.

Rotorua Intermediate will also be looking to defend another blue-ribbon event next week, after taking out the netball competition last year.

Competition gets under way on Monday and closes on Friday. About 6500 children aged between 11 and 13 will attend the sporting event this year, including schools from Australia and Rarotonga.