Tereora and Araura Colleges dominate badminton tournament

The annual University Badminton Championships concluded with a thrilling two-day tournament at the National Auditorium as two schools dominated the competition.

On the first day of the competition, in the youth category, Araura College from Aitutaki won the overall championship trophy.

They managed to fend off a strong challenge from Apii Nikao, while Nukutere College finished third.

Yesterday was the second day of the competition and the focus shifted to the senior category with Tereora College joining the list of participating schools.

Tereora Academy came in well prepared and dominated the entire senior tournament.

Competition was so fierce in the girls singles and doubles and mixed doubles events that the Year 9 and Year 10 teams from Tereora ended up facing off in the final.

In the men’s singles and doubles events, Tereola faced stiff competition from Nukut’ere College but ultimately won the title in both events.

Alora Academy coach Leilei Matati expressed his excitement, saying: “It’s incredible, we are shocked by the result.”

“We just started badminton eight weeks ago and with the support of our parents and the Aitutaki community, we train hard twice a week.

“We Cook Islands people have a lot of talent but we need to put in the hard work.”

Araura College’s preparation for the tournament was driven by a strong desire to succeed, especially considering that despite this being their first time participating in the annual competition, they were determined to excel.

Matati was proud of his team’s commitment, noting that many students were already proficient in volleyball, which helped them transition to badminton training eight weeks ago.

“Our kids are very good at volleyball, and when we started badminton last semester, I saw great potential in the kids.”

Cook Islands Badminton Association president Thomas Ngauru gave them valuable guidance which further enhanced their training.

“We are lucky that four of the top players from the Cook Islands came to Aitutaki and it really motivated our boys. It really boosted the morale of our boys to see the top players from our country,” added Matati.

“We are very pleased to have given the children the opportunity to showcase their talents,” said Thomas Ngaulu, tournament manager and president of the Cook Islands Badminton Association.

“Over the years, this has enabled us to identify talent with the potential to compete in international competitions. As the only major tournament in the badminton world, we are very happy to provide this opportunity to our students.