Supporting Rangatahi’s Sporting Endeavours
Three passionate rangatahi have been sporting across the globe, proudly representing the Manawatū District on the national and international stage with support from MDC’s Representative Fund. On Wednesday, Council heard their experiences firsthand through detailed presentations from Benji Beech on his basketball tournament, Esther Hyland on her overseas pony club exchange, and Keeton Smith on his overseas canoe polo championships.
The Representative Fund supports individuals or teams who represent the Manawatū District at national or international events. The fund helps relieve financial barriers and encourages residents to be creative and engage in cultural, recreational and learning opportunities. Applications for the 2025/26 financial year have closed, and recipients have begun to share their experiences with Council, including the following rangatahi.
Benji Beech attended the U16 Basketball Nationals tournament in Wellington in July, after making the premier team at the Basketball Manawatū trials in January. His team impressively came 7th out of 26 teams! Benji enjoyed the trip to Wellington, notably mentioning his visit to Taco Bell, Nike and Footlocker stores, and to Parliament. His basketball journey doesn’t stop there, as he’ll be attending a basketball tour in Australia in January 2026.
Esther Hyland travelled from Feilding to the United Kingdom for a Pony Club Exchange, competing against teams from Australia, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Canada. She expressed how proud she was of her team and the overall experience, highlighting the challenging agility events and the use of loan ponies. Esther’s team placed 3rd out of 5 and she hopes to trial for more teams and compete in more international events.
Keeton Smith participated in the Asia Pacific Canoe Polo Championships in September. Both the male and female team from the Manawatū Kiwi Canoe Polo Club endured a 12-hour flight from Auckland to Shanghai to compete against Malaysia, China, Singapore, Russia, and Taiwan. The competition took place on Dongqian Lake with daily temperatures exceeding 35+ degrees. Keeton and his team made the most of their time abroad, sightseeing from their hotel, visiting the Shanghai Tower, Disneyland, local markets, and travelling to Ningbo on a 3–4 hour bus trip. The team placed 5th out of 9, a result he was very proud of.
After each presentation, Elected Members shared a round of applause, expressing pride in Benji, Esther and Keeton’s achievements and receiving wide smiles in return! Council is proud to have supported Benji, Esther and Keeton through the Representative Fund, seeing them achieve their goals and showcase their passion on national and international stages.