The biggest netball tournament in the Cook Islands – ‘BSP Netball in Paradise’ – kicked off on Saturday morning with a traditional turou by Danniel Daniel at the Multi Sports Arena in Nikao.

Over 300 keen netballers hit the court from 10am playing exciting games until 6pm.

Netball Cook Islands president Ngere Puia said the first day of the event went very well with 33 teams.

“I was very impressed by the sportsmanship shown amongst all the players, and as always the mixed division was a crowd favourite.”

Puia said the teams were advised that the interchange between games had to be done with urgency and she was pleased to say the teams did accordingly which allowed the games to flow as per schedule.

“I’m very thankful to our small group of volunteers as well as our local umpires,” she said.

“There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to ensure we were prepared for this event.”

Puia would like to thank the Netball in Paradise committee executives Lucianna Matenga, Jenna Tere, Chrissy Piakura, Alexandria “Sebon” Nicholas Will, and bench manager Autiare Luke.

Cook Islander Mailena Woonton Rawiri has joined the tournament representing the Ulalei Netball Club from Wainuiomata, Wellington, New Zealand.

“We are celebrating our 20-year anniversary this year and this tournament is one of the ways we are celebrating this special year,” said Rawiri.

The Ulalei Netball Club has brought over around 90 people which include their families. Their three teams are named Maire, Puaneinei, and Tiare Māori.

Rawiri said they enjoyed the first day of the tournament. Their women’s social team lost their first game but won their second, and the mixed competitive team Ulalei Maire won both their games.

The hard-working Netball Cook Islands executive team. From left: Lucian Matenga, Jenna Tere, Ngere Puia – president, and Chrissy Piakura. MELINA ETCHES/24120115

This year marks the 11^th instalment of the Netball in Paradise tournament that has a two-fold purpose in stimulating sports tourism in the Cook Islands and raising funds for Netball Cook Islands.

Ensuring the annual event happens and runs to international standard is the naming sponsorship support by Bank South Pacific (BSP) who have this year provided $10,000 in sponsorship funding to the Turama Pacific Travel Group’s dedicated event management team Destination Management Cook Islands (DMCK) who have been the event promoters, administrators and tournament managers of the annual Netball in Paradise since 2016.

Netball in Paradise includes five divisions namely the fun and skill filled Social Ladies division that includes 12 competing teams, Open Ladies division with four teams while 11 teams are competing in the dynamic and fast Open Mixed division.

Yesterday, Sunday was a rest and recovery day for the teams.

Today, starting from 9am there will be more action on court at the indoor sports arena in Nikao (next door to Tereora College).

The finals will be held on Thursday before the wrap up party and awards night on Friday at The Islander Hotel.