Steve Plowman, a protg of world-renowned New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard, and a veteran coach of elite runners in New Zealand, Europe and the USA, is currently residing in the Cook Islands and took the opportunity to run his eye over the local talent at the recent Cook Islands National Track and Field Championships. He saw plenty of promise and plenty of scope for development amongst the younger generation of runners. Here is Steve’s report on the champs and the conclusions he drew from them.The recent Cook Islands National Athletics Track and Field Championships, held over two days at BCI stadium last month, showcased some young, up and coming talent that could be seen in the familiar national green, yellow and white colours in several years if it is developed within a dedicated and specific athletics framework.

Atiu runner Moera Harmon showed plenty of ability in winning the under-12 girls’ 100m sprint title in 14.7 seconds – just four-tenths of a second slower than the winner of the under-14 grade, Janna Pureau, and only eight-tenths of a second slower than the talented under-16 runner Teiti Tupuna. Harmon could be one to watch in the future on the strength of that run if she continues to develop her athletics career. Tupuna also won the long jump with a leap of 4.38m – which was comparable with some of those in the under-16 boys’ grade.

Edmund Tupuna (Mauke) captured the under-18 boys’ titles over 100 metres (12 seconds) and then for good measure stepped out and won the under-20 race over the same distance – clocking 11.8 seconds in the latter event – a fine effort. Tupuna then won the under-18 title for 200 metres – running a very useful 24.6 seconds and on the second day he was back for more, taking the 400m Open Men’s race in 60.55 seconds, the fastest time of the day.

Atiu’s Tanangaro Tairi took out the under-16 boys’ sprint double, cutting out the 100 metres in 12.5 seconds and the 200 in 26 seconds even. There was plenty to like about the win of Taua Heather (Puiakura), who won the 400m race in the under-10 boys’ grade in 1.19.69 seconds – a time which compared very favourably with some of the older grades and a further indication of latent talent that needs to be nurtured within the Cooks’ athletics scene.

Apart from the Open Men’s one lapper, the fastest time of the day over the trip was recorded by under-16 boy’s title winner David Akamoeau (Mauke) who looked good in winning in 1 minute 4.8 seconds.

Under-14 girls’ winner Janna Puraeu (Atiu) bolted to victory in her race in a time of 1 minute 13 seconds while she added the long jump title for good measure with a leap of 3.66 metres.

In the under-14 boys’ grade the very busy Ngatuakana Kamoe (Aitutaki) took out the 100-200 metres sprint double – winning in 12.9 seconds and 28.9 seconds respectively – promising times that with further consistent training could no doubt be improved upon significantly. Not content to rest on his laurels, Ngatuakana also threw the discus out to 25.41 metres to win his division, a throw that compared favourably with the older throwers’ efforts and would have placed him second in the Open Men’s grade and then added the under-14 boys’ long jump title with a leap of 4.30m – also comparing favourably with the older boys. Grace Matapo managed 23.18 metres in winning the under-18 girls’ title and showed the older competitors how it was done.

Harmon Harmon (Takuvaine) was another busy competitor over the two days – winning five times in the Open Men’s division, taking out the 100m, discus, shot put, javelin and long jump titles.

Fourteen-year-old Adam Henderson clocked 2.20 in blitzing his older rivals in taking out the under-16 division, obviously having inherited the family’s athletic genes. Adam’s father, Kevin, was 30 seconds behind his son in taking out the Masters’ (50-plus) division.

Cook Islands Athletics is obviously not as strong as it used to be when I first visited these beautiful islands 10 years ago and saw a stadium packed to the gunnels with young runners, all keen to showcase their respective talents – and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

But where have they gone?

As has happened in New Zealand over the last few decades, an abundance of sports competing for the attention of athletes and offering a variety of incentives such as overseas trips – has reduced the numbers taking up athletics.

That said, there is scope for significant improvement if local athletes specialised in their running and trained consistently. All too often it seems they are lured away by the instant appeal of a trip overseas and so they switch from one sport to another over the course of each year. While this is entirely understandable and attainable within a small island population, it often means their energies are not being channelled specifically and the danger is that they may never reach their full potential in any of the codes they play. It very much has the feel of that old adage ”Jack of all trades but master of none“ about it.

Some are versatile and talented enough to be good at several sports of course. There is an abundance of natural speed and raw talent amongst many of the islands’ sportspeople. From a purely athletics’ viewpoint, there is much potential but it may well never be fully realised unless it is identified early and nurtured for several years. The key word there is ”potential“ because potential is a bit like genius – it can be misdirected, wasted or even go unrecognised.

Sport is a great vehicle to character building in the young – I have seen it change the lives of at-risk youth from a potential life of crime to becoming fine members of their community. There is good work being done in this area at the Cook Islands Sports Academy and I think a similar model could work well for athletics too. Ake Hosea is also doing sterling work with her school athletics programme.

I find much to admire about the sheer joy and enthusiasm with which your Cook Islands’ children run and long may it continue to be so. Sport enhances a society’s structure and it teaches us to take life’s knocks and rise above them. In that sense, it can be a metaphor for life itself and these are important lessons to instil in our youngsters.

But alongside of this obvious benefit, if Cook Islanders want their athletes to shine overseas the emphasis must be on these children – because they are the future. Winning is not everything but if you want to succeed on the international stage you have to do the ground work and you have to start it early. That development needs to be free of self-interest and politics – be it internal or external - with the greater good of the athletes foremost in everyone’s thinking.

On an earlier visit, I took in a junior rugby game – there on the wing was a gifted young man of about 14 years of age who moved with the grace and speed of a gazelle. He was a born middle distance runner in the making. Yet, as I left the ground I couldn’t help but think that his potential as a runner would remain untapped. That is not to say he could not make the grade as a rugby player – he certainly possessed good skills but I suspect his potential as a runner was even greater. With so much potential and natural speed amongst its athletes this is the challenge I see for the Cooks’ athletics scene – identifying young talent and encouraging them to be the best they can be. Equally, that could apply to any code played here.

In athletics terms, perhaps the will amongst teenagers to put in the hard yards and foundation miles required to compete successfully on the international stage is not there given the climate – but if young Jamaicans, Ethiopians and Kenyans can do it then so too can Cook Islanders. Climate is not an excuse – you can always train when the heat is gone from the day. Perhaps they are encouraged to be sprinters when their build would make them better over a middle distance. Perhaps the wonderful work of your local volunteer coaches is not being sufficiently resourced through government funding bodies, or perhaps there needs to be more emphasis placed on identification of promising young runners at an early age and the development of a particular ‘athletics incubator’ system to help them reach their full potential. Others will know the answers to these questions.

New Zealand’s Olympic 800 and 1500 metres champion and three-time gold medallist, Peter Snell, who dominated middle distance athletics in the mid-60s was discovered playing tennis by legendary coach Arthur Lydiard and eventually convinced to become a runner. Snell was a very fine tennis player but a world-beater as a runner. Seeing potential to excel in a particular sport is the key to building the Cooks Islands’ future champions.

I suspect there are young children in the Cooks gifted with natural speed and with the potential to become athletics champions – perhaps even on one of the outer islands – just waiting to be discovered. He or she may presently be playing netball or tennis or some other activity. The reverse is also true – there may be a track and field athlete who is a potential star on the netball court or rugby field. The trick is in identifying them at an early age – and nurturing and fostering their God-given talents to their full potential so that one day we might all get to cheer them to victory and see those familiar yellow, green and gold colours stand atop the dais on the world stage.