Sports correspondent & historian with Sideline Sid

Sport is an integral part of the New Zealand fabric and is a big contributor to the country’s economy.

Sport and active recreation contributes $4.9 billion which equates to 2.3 per cent to our GDP (Gross Domestic Product), according to Sport New Zealand.

Life in the Western Bay of Plenty is enhanced by the presence of sport and active recreation, with plenty of health benefits for participants, and socialising at events for sports fans.

Economic benefits brought to the Western Bay of Plenty by visiting sports men and women and their supporters; provide tangible benefits to businesses and the community alike.

While we don’t have the big stadiums and arenas of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, we do have a solid infrastructure that supports sporting events.

The ocean and inner harbour host events that range from surf lifesaving carnivals to sailing regattas and fishing contests.

The sports grounds and green spaces land-banked by earlier generations of our city’s leaders, provide plenty of options for outdoor activities.

Visionary mayors such as Noel Pope and Nobby Clarke led the TCC to create vital sporting hubs in key locations in the city.

Blake Park, which dates back to the Mount Maunganui town plan of the 1920s, stands as a symbol for multiple sports being played at a single venue.

Other significant sporting hubs, include Waipuna Park in Welcome Bay and Papamoa’s Gordon Spratt Reserve along with the long established Tauranga Domain.

Tauranga City has established itself as a multi-sized sporting venue for national and international tournaments and events.

The AIMS Games, for intermediate school age budding athletes, takes over the city in early September. This year, 12,000 competitors from 373 schools, will make a massive financial contribution to the region.

Cricket at the Bay Oval brings some of the superstars of the world game to Blake Park. Croquet world championships and international hockey have been staged within the confines of Blake Park.

July welcomed the New Zealand Squash titles to the Dame Susan Devoy Squash Centre and the Tai Mitchell age-group rugby tournament to Tauranga City.

My concern is the sports that slip under the radar in terms of support and the recognition that financial benefits bring to the region.

King’s Birthday weekend saw the North Island Golden Gloves, which is the biggest amateur boxing tournament in New Zealand each year, come to town. Clubs New Zealand has brought two weeks of eight ball national competition to the Tauranga Citizens Club in July.

A curious blank space in terms of support of local sport has been the lack of pronouncements by the prospective mayoral and council candidates in the current local body elections.

There needs to be a co-ordinated approach to bringing local sporting events under one banner, to market nationally and internationally, along with promoting local sport.

An example close at hand is the Taupo District Council, who have become a key component of promoting and staging the New Zealand Ironman and Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, which together attract many thousands to the Great Lake region.

Can I suggest that the new mayor and councilors take the lead in establishing an overarching sporting brand for Tauranga City.