Press Releases
New Zealand Academy of Sport Gala Dinner to celebrate victory in sport
26 May 2006
New Zealand’s top athletes are coming together in Auckland next week for the New Zealand Academy of Sport’s biennial celebration toasting the nation’s top athletic performances in the past two years.
Valerie Vili, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, and members from the New Zealand Rugby Sevens team are among the 70 athletes who will attend the New Zealand Academy of Sport Gala Dinner at Sky City in Auckland this Tuesday, May 30.
New Zealand athletes have posted impressive results over the last two years, including 27 world championship titles, 70 world placings and 31 Commonwealth Games medals, and the black-tie Gala Dinner is an opportunity for the nation’s sports community to recognise and congratulate those athletes and teams.
“It’s important that all of us in the New Zealand sporting community formally recognise outstanding achievement, celebrate victory in sport and honour New Zealand’s very best athletes,” said Nick Hill, SPARC’s (Sport & Recreation New Zealand) Chief Executive.
Held in association with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Paralympics New Zealand, the Gala Dinner is held every two years to celebrate those athletes who have achieved with distinction either at world championship events or at the recent Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
“It’s awe inspiring to look back over two years and reflect on the success of New Zealand’s top sports people,” said SPARC Chairman John Wells.
“If we are to develop and nurture talent, we need to hold these role models in the highest regard and recognise and celebrate their achievements as being something to which our young athletes can aspire.”
The New Zealand Academy of Sport is SPARC’s high performance network providing a wide range of services for high performance athletes. The Academy is the focal point for sporting excellence in New Zealand, and is committed to providing a platform for success through the Academy’s philosophy of being athlete centred, coach led, performance driven and administratively supported – all with the goal of helping New Zealand athletes win at an international level.
Download a list of athletes being recognised (list includes their region and sport) (PDF, 11.42KB)
For further information contact:
Ross Palmer
SPARC Senior Advisor, Marketing and Communications
04 496 3978
021 953349
Updated | 26 May 2006.
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