With the New Zealand Secondary School Nationals tipping off in Palmerston North from Monday, the competition will see the introduction of two new perpetual trophies for the winning Single A Grade Boy’s and Girl’s champions.
The Ngaire Lee Cup will be presented to the championship-winning Single A Secondary School Nationals Girl’s Champions.
Ngaire Lee Q.S.M is a player, administrator and referee with almost 70 years involvement in the game – including 50 years in the secondary school basketball landscape. She was a sports administrator and coach for over 30 years at Rotorua Girls High School, and served as a coach and administrator for Rotorua Basketball Association until her retirement in 2019 aged 88. Ngaire was also a first level badge holder of the New Zealand Referees Association.
Ngaire is a Life member of both BBNZ and Rotorua Basketball Association, and in 1991 received the Sir Lance Cross Award for distinguished contribution to basketball. In 1996 she was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for her services to the Community.
The Api Hemi Cup will be presented to the championship-winning Single A Secondary School Nationals Boy’s Champions.
Api Hemi was a stalwart of the Church College basketball programme for many years. In 1978 and 1979 he coached the A1 boys who won a silver medal and national title before he started a highly successful coaching career with girl’s basketball.
In 1980 – his first year as the Girl’s Head Coach at Church College – his team placed third at Secondary Schools Nationals. From then on Api, his wife and family led many successful campaigns which saw him become the most winningest coach in New Zealand Secondary School basketball history.
Api also led Waikato representative teams that won national titles and carried on his coaching career as a mentor and friend to many other coaches in the Waikato and Porirua region. His legacy lives on in multiple coaches today, who are still successfully using many of his plays and coaching philosophy.
BBNZ General Manager Events, David Huxford says that the project to name the two Secondary School trophies has been a year in the making.
“It all came together in the last few weeks with the assistance of the New Zealand Basketball Foundation, just in time for our Secondary School Nationals next week,” says Huxford.
“It’s very important to recognise the two people for whom these trophies are named, as having contributed significantly to the School Basketball scene over a long period of time.
“I have been fortunate enough to talk with Ngaire Lee and gain an understanding, from this very humble person, of the impact she has had in the school basketball space over 50 years. And a long time friend of the late Api Hemi, Tyler Wilkinson, provided an invaluable insight into the contribution that Api had through his school Church College.
“We hope the naming of these trophies serves as a suitable legacy for the impact these two people have had on age group basketball in New Zealand over the years.”
The Secondary School National Basketball Championships tips off at Fly Palmy Arena in Palmerston North, from 30 September – 5 October 2024. Find out more at https://bbnz.link/ssnats
