KEY POINTS:
NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT
DISTINGUISHED COMPANIONS
Tay Wilson OBE
(Lower Hutt)
Olympic and Commonwealth Games
Involved with Olympic and Commonwealth games for nearly 30 years, including membership of the IOC for more than 20 years.
OFFICERS
Tony Popplewell
(North Shore)
Rowing and sports administration
Competitor, coach and administrator for nearly 50 years. Was in the NZ eight at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and is helping organise the 2008 Olympic team and 2010 world championships at Lake Karapiro.
MEMBERS
Bob Glading DSC
(North Shore)
Golf
At 86, the oldest living New Zealand Open champ, having won in 1946 (Manawatu) and 1947 (New Plymouth). A regular golf writer, he still plays to a single handicap and won a hole-in-one competition in aid of charity at the recent New Zealand Open. National rep, TV commentator, and more.
Suzie Muirhead
(Wellington)
Hockey
Had a 14-year career with the Black Sticks. New Zealand's most capped women's hockey player with 238 games.
Simon Towns
(London)
Hockey
New Zealand's most-capped men's player with 217 appearances. Captained the team to the silver medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and sixth at the Athens Olympics two years later.
Keith Mann
(Christchurch)
Sport, particularly fencing
Commonwealth Games rep in the 1960s, was national fencing team manager and selector and still coaches. Also involved with boxing and paraplegic events, and the Christchurch Winter Olympics investigation group.
HONORARY MEMBERS
Jorge Sandoval
(Lower Hutt)
Cycling
Political refugee from his native Chile and organiser of over 30 international events. He said: "I arrived in this country with a couple of T-shirts and a few Spanish records ... this is also an honour because I represent Chile."
