Aitutaki’s Araura College achieved a clean sweep at the 10th Annual College Badminton Tournament, securing the overall titles in both the junior and senior divisions in only their second year of participation.

The annual tournament featuring schools from Rarotonga and Araura College was held yesterday at the National Sports Arena in Nikao.

In the senior division, Araura College finished on top with 106 points, followed by Nukutere College in second place, Tereora College in third with 82 points and Papaaroa School in fourth with 62 points.

In the junior division, Araura College was crowned the champion with 82 points, followed by Apii Avarua in second place with 78 points, Nukutere College in third place with 68 points and Apii Nikao in fourth place with 65 points.

The tournament featured students from years 7 to 10 in junior and senior singles and doubles divisions for boys, girls and mixed teams.

Badminton Cook Islands president Thomas Ngauru thanked the schools for participating and allowing badminton to be a part of their junior development programme.

“A special thank you to Araura, you have done a lot to be here. For some of us we just had to walk to the dome, you had to fly all the way from another island to be here.”

Ngauru also thanked their sponsors – Vodafone Cook Islands, Vonnias, Brian Mason and Primefoods – for their support.

In the junior division, Tangitoru Heather from Te Uki Ou was the singles runner-up and received a $20 Vonnias voucher and a $10 Vodafone voucher.

Aj Paiti from Araura College won the junior singles title and received a trophy with a $30 Vonnias voucher and a $20 Vodafone voucher.

Christine Manlangit from Nukutere College finished as runner-up in the junior girls’ division, while Hinaari Taulu-Amo from Te Uki Ou won the division.

Nukutere College’s Amelesh Prasad and Katieanne Rouru clinched junior mixed doubles title while Araura College’s Stephen Tearetoa and Kelly Tare finished runner up.

Araura College’s Aj Paiti and Chaplin Williams won the junior boys doubles and the junior girls doubles title went to Moana-Sky Napa and Ngapoko Tatuava of Apii Avarua.

In the senior division, the boys singles title went to Make Pauku from Nukutere while Haize Gamez from Tereora College finished runner up.

Tereora College’s Trudeinus Tuaputa was the girls’ singles champions while Mereana Messine from Araura College finished second.

The mixed doubles title went to Vincent Simpson and Rosa Kureta and Araura’s Clyde Puia Mauri and Myra Teiti were runner up.

Uhain Gamez and Claude Simpson from Tereora College took first place in the senior boys’ doubles, while the runners-up were Piua Ioteva and Clyde Puia Mauri from Araura College.

Angera Gempton and Mereana Messine of Araura College won the senior girls' doubles title, beating their schoolmates Kivana Arere and Myra Teiti.