CISNOC blows out 25 candles

The growth of sports in the Cook Islands was commemorated on Saturday when the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee celebrated its 25th birthday.

A special ceremony to mark the milestone was held at the Telecom Sports Arena – soon to be the home of CISNOC.

At the gathering of sports heads, a flag-raising ceremony was held with past Olympians Mark Sherwin, Sam Pera Snr, Sam Pera Jnr and Tereapii Tapoki as flag bearers.

CISNOC became a member of the Olympic Movement through the International Olympic Committee on March 3, 1985.

Founding member of CISNOC and current national sports body secretary general Rosie Blake says it took the founding members two years to be affiliated to the IOC with the project spearheaded by the late Hugh Henry.

“It was a new era of sports in the Cook Islands,” says Blake.

Blake says that in becoming an IOC member – CISNOC needed the support of 10 national federations of which five needed to be Olympic codes.

“In the progressive years we have seen many sporting events introduced to the Cook Islands including becoming affiliated with the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Games.”

In the 25 years of operation – CISNOC has grown its membership to 26 national federations and 10 outer islands sports administrations.

Sporting commissions and programmes including sports and environment, sports and health as well as sports and education have been delivered to the community.

Blake also acknowledges that with the growth of sport in the Cook Islands and the need to deliver these sports programmes to the community – money has become an issue.

She says that one of CISNOC’s goals moving forward for the betterment of sport in the Cook Islands is to rebuild the trust of the community – especially the sports community who’ve lost trust in the committee over concerns about the body’s financial management.

Blake believes that with the support of the community at large – CISNOC can continue its work in developing sports in the Cook Islands and sending athletes to pinnacle sporting events such as the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Throughout the year CISNOC will be running a number of special events to commemorate 25 years of sporting development in the country with school and community programmes to be rolled out in the coming months.