Basketball: Te Arawa clinch three titles

Te Arawa men's player Rore Neho (left) in action at the National Maori Basketball Tournament in Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker

Te Arawa basketball teams have won three titles at the National Maori Basketball Tournament in Rotorua.

The annual tournament attracted a record 94 teams to the Energy Events Centre last week, with games played from Thursday to Saturday.

The home teams, representing Te Arawa, performed strongly, winning the mixed grade and girls' under-17 grade.

Tournament director Sue Pene said Te Arawa also won the award for best performing rohe (region) at the tournament, with points added up for finishing first, second and third in each division.

The open awards went to Ngati Toa (Porirua) in the men's open division and Whakatohea Matawaka (Hamilton) in the women's open division.

The Te Arawa Pango men's team progressed all the way to the men's final but were beaten by a strong Ngati Toa side.

"We were just happy to be here and be a part of something like this," Te Arawa men's player Russell Ngatoko said. "We haven't been here before ... it's awesome. Some of our kids have been playing too."

Ngatoko's team were one of two sides playing for Te Arawa in the men's section.

They lost the final 61-38 to Ngati Toa.

"They played hard. I think we could have beaten them, but they definitely deserved the win."

Ngatoko said his team would definitely be back again next year. "But next time we will be playing under Tauranga Moana."

He said his team was mainly made up of Tauranga players, and were playing under the banner of Te Arawa because of a connection with one of the players.

The tournament next year will either be held in Rotorua again or moved to Tauranga, according to tournament director Pene.

Winning teams at the nationals:

Men's grade: Ngati Toa (Porirua); Women's grade: Whakatohea Matawaka (Hamilton); Mixed grade: Te Arawa (Rotorua); Masters grade: Heretaunga (Hawke's Bay); Special Olympics: Ngati Toa (Porirua); U17 Boys: Morehu (Wellington); U17 Girls: Te Arawa (Rotorua); U15 Boys: Te Maru o Mauao (Tauranga); U15 Girls: Rangitane o Tamaki Nui a Rua (Hamilton/Wairarapa); U13 Boys: Te Maru o Mauao (Tauranga); U13 Girls: Ngati Toa (Porirua); U11 Boys: Heretaunga (Hawke's Bay); U11 Girls: Horowhenua; U9 Boys: Turanganui a Kiwa (Gisborne); U9 Girls: Horowhenua.