It has been a week of fun and learning new sport techniques at the National Indoor Arena as Rarotonga youth came together to compete against each other in different sporting codes at the 2023 Youth Games.

Yesterday, supporters and parents gathered to cheer their children on at the final event of the three-day Youth Games.

The Turbo Touch competition saw Shine-on Viti I take home the first prize, with Rest Beach Faces in second place and Shine on Viti II finishing in third place.

Shine-on Viti manager Kimi Narovu said the team Viti was made up of Kiribati, Samoa, part Cook Islands-Fiji and Fijian children.

Turbo Touch finals saw Shine-on Viti 1 finishing on top beating Rest Beach Faces yesterday. 23042890 – 93/ LOSIRENE LACANIVALU

Narovu said: “The event was a great time for our own youth to get to bond and get to know each other.”

He said their aim was to just participate in the Youth Games and to give their children the opportunity to be exposed to different sports, especially the ones that they hardly play, such as basketball, turbo touch and mixed netball.

“This is the first time that the Cook Islands Fijian Community joined a youth competition. We prepared during the two weeks holiday and next year we will be well prepared for this competition.”

The Shine-on Viti team managed third place in both mixed netball and 3X3 basketball competition.

The Fast Five Mix Netball event was won by Coconut Heads with Jane’s AJK’z finishing in second place.

Coconut Head won the final against AJK’z in the mixed netball event. 28042860 – 72 and 23042888 / LOSIRENE LACANIVALU

Coconut Head coach Peniana Crocombe said the team trained for about three weeks, constantly over the holidays, and it was good to see them participate.

Crocombe said they did not expect to win the mixed netball event and were pleased with the outcome.

Jane Moananu, coach of the AJK’z team, said it was a close match.

Moananu said they hardly trained but had come together for the event to have some fun.

AJK’z Jane’s Team managed silver in the Fast Five netball event. 23042875 / LOSIRENE LACANIVALU

She said they all had fun and learnt some netball skills along the way.

Moananu said it was the first time most of the boys played netball and they did well.

She acknowledged Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee for organising the event and the young ones for giving up their holiday and time to have a bit of “fun, exercise and enjoy it”.

In the 3X3 basketball event, the Gold Pretty Boys finished on top followed by Te Mana in second place.