Table tennis on shot

Five young Cook Islands table tennis players have been in New Zealand for the past three weeks competing in the Oceania Table Tennis Championships, Pacific Cup Championships, Global Junior Circuit and Youth Olympic qualifying events.

The team travelled with manager Dennis Tararo from Mauke and coach Tearoa Iorangi.

The local players attended a three day international training camp prior the competition.

Twenty countries entered in the International Global Junior Circuit tournament and 10 entered in the Oceania and the Pacific Cup Championships.

Kura Tararo from Mauke who competed in the under12 category won gold after a close encounter in the finals with a Fiji opponent.

Junior George from Mangaia won a bronze medal in his boy’s under18 category.

Ana Pere won gold in her under15 category.

In the girl’s under18 category, Louisa Mokoha secured gold and Kerryn Hunt from Brisbane won silver – both for the Cook Islands.

The young trio also entered the open women category and won bronze in the team event.

Mokoha also won bronze in the Pacific Cup open women’s single category with Vanuatu taking top honours.

The team was placed fourth overall in the under18 team event.

In the open men’s category the team of Tearoa Iorangi, Ngamata Teokotai with Julian Barnard and Eric Eiao from Auckland won a bronze medal in their team event.

Meanwhile, most of the players are enjoying an extra week of holiday in Auckland before returning home for school.

The team would like to thank the parents of the young athletes for their assistance and to CISNOC for the financial assistance that made the trip possible. Also a big meitaki maata to Bele Tararo and family, Noouapu and Teipo Motu for the great support given to the team while in Auckland.