Te Arawa Sports Awards: In memory of Okeroa | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

High-achiever Okeroa Douglas has been remembered with a special memorial award handed out to an outstanding sportsman at last night's Te Arawa Sports Awards.

Rotorua Boys High School student Te Reweti Graham is the inaugural recipient of the Te Arawa Sports Awards' Outstanding Rangatahi of the Year Award - given in memory of 18-year-old Douglas, who died in a car crash on July 15.

Rotorua's Tarryn Cox has also scooped top awards at the Te Arawa Awards, which were held at Rotorua's Holiday Inn last night, taking away the Te Arawa Senior Sportswoman of the Year and the Te Arawa Team of the Year award as part of Cox Motorsport, which includes herself and her brother.

Okeroa Douglas was a rising sportswoman who was a member of the Bay of Plenty Under-18 hockey team, a representative hockey player and had also represented the Bay of Plenty in basketball, tennis and touch rugby.

A recognition award that remembers the life and contribution of the talented teenager was established - the Te Puhi o Te Arawa Award - celebrating outstanding rangatahi excellence and future excellence.

Meanwhile, horse-power and paddle-power have been recognised as part of this year's Te Arawa Awards with co-driver Tarryn Cox and kayaker Sam Sutton winning the women's and men's categories.

More than 100 people were nominated for the Te Arawa Maori Sports and Rangatahi Achievement Awards, now in their 15th year.

It's been a special year for Cox with her admission into the Elite Motorsport Academy, where she graduated as top student. She and her brother and driver Sloan make up a major part of Cox Motor Sport. It was the pair's first season in the senior division of the New Zealand Rally Championship.

They came back from a crash in Whangarei to get their first podium finish in Wairarapa. To put icing on the cake, Cox Motor Sport won Te Arawa Team of the year award.

Sutton, an extreme white-water kayaker, recently defended his world title at the adidas Sickline Championship in Austria.

The 23-year-old Te Arawa paddler produced a record break time down the tumbling section of the Wellerbrucke rapids to head off fellow Waiariki Institute of Technology teammate Mike Dawson.

Te Papa Takaro o Te Arawa general manager Paora Hurihanganui said the awards were open to all Maori sports within Te Arawa's tribal region and to all Te Arawa descendants locally and abroad, while the rangatahi (young people) awards were open to all Te Arawa descendants locally, nationally and internationally.

"We received over 100 nominations, but we still need to encourage whanau to nominate their loved ones to pay tribute to their wonderful achievements, especially in the adult age categories."

Other winners included Te Arawa Junior Sportsman Elliot Paerata-Reid (surfing) and junior sportswoman Pinky Rewi-Henry (water polo).

Fifty-five rangatahi and one rangatahi team were recognised for their achievements in sport with Te Arawa Rangatahi Achievement Awards.

Winners list