Media Release
Four promising West Coasters awarded grants by Solid Energy Amateur Sports Trust
10 June 2009
A Greymouth tennis player, a Runanga soccer player, a Hokitika axeman and a Greymouth junior athlete have received grants from the Solid Energy Amateur Sports Trust to support their development.
The trust has been funding talented young Coast sportspeople for 12 years and in that time has distributed approximately $120,000 to 90 recipients. The Trust aims to identify and help sportspeople in the region who are either representing the region at a national level or who have the potential to do so. The assistance is used to provide further training and to offset the cost of travelling to compete.
Solid Energy has supported the trust’s activities since its inception as part of its community investment programme and the district’s regional councils make funding contributions from time to time. Applications for grants are taken in March and September and the awards are made twice a year, with the grants paid to the successful applicants’ clubs or associations.
The most recent recipients are Tony Jensen of the Hokitika Axemen’s Club, Sarsha Levick of the Greymouth Junior Athletic Club, Corbin Ashby of the Grey United Tennis Club and Laken Richardson of the Grey Main Football Club.
Laken, 14, was selected for this year’s Mainland Football under-15 girls’ team and travels regularly from Runanga to Christchurch for training. Her Mainland coach believes she should aim to represent New Zealand at age group level. Corbin, 15, won the West Coast under-16 and under-18 boy’s tennis championship this year, represented Canterbury at the national championships and was ranked in the top-20 of New Zealand’s 14-year-old players. His coach believes he should be aiming to gain an international junior ranking in the next two or three years.
Sarsha, 14, excels in track and field events and has also represented the West Coast in netball and basketball. Her goal is to one day represent New Zealand at a major international meeting such as the Commonwealth Games and her coaches believe she has the drive and potential. Tony, 20, is the current New Zealand under-21 standing log champion and has been a member of the New Zealand Under-21 team since 2006. His coach describes him as one of the district’s leading axemen.
