Taupō District Sports Awards 2024: Celebrate local sporting achievements

Nominations for the Taupō District Sports Awards 2024 are open until September 20.

Nominations for the Taupō District Sports Awards 2024 are now open in preparation for the November ceremony.

The Lake Taupō District Sports Advisory Council will be holding the event at Wairakei Resort Taupō on Friday, November 8 from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

The awards were reintroduced last year after an absence caused by Covid-19 and a Sport Waikato restructure. There were 67 nominations for the Taupō District Sports Awards 2023.

The formal awards evening, with a buffet dinner, will recognise and share the development of sport at a club and volunteer level, celebrate success across multiple junior athlete categories, honour sportspeople performing nationally and internationally and support athletes through the awarding of eight scholarships and grants.

The awards categories are Team of the Year (secondary Year 9-13); Team of the Year (adult); Sportsperson of the Year (secondary – male); Sportsperson of the Year (secondary – female); Sportsperson of the Year (adult); Coach of the Year (all ages) and Club Contributor of the Year.

There will be an Olympic theme, with spot prizes donated from local businesses and local Paralympic cyclist and silver medallist Anna Taylor as the guest speaker.

The Taupō District Sports Awards were reintroduced to the region in 2023.

“With a continued focus on the showcasing of sporting clubs, we are delighted to announce a brand-new category, Club Contributor of the Year, which will be open to administrators, officials, managers, jersey washers - any person who makes an invaluable contribution to their organisation (limited to one nomination per club),” Lake Taupō Sports Advisory Council secretary Vivien Andrews said.

“We would like to extend our thanks to our naming sponsor The Gary Ramsay Charitable Trust, as well as our platinum supporter in BFA Business Advisers and Accountants.

“Many thanks also to our category sponsors Cheal Consultants, Total Sport Ltd, Empower Fitness, Westerman Property Solutions, Zest Mortgage Brokers, DPA Ltd and Taupō Pathways for Youth Employment.”

Contact admin@tauposac.org.nz or visit sporty.co.nz/tauposportservices to nominate - nominations close on September 20.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined NZME in 2020.