Paralympics New Zealand Hosts National Championships

Paralympics New Zealand will host its National Championships from 3-6 November in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Athletes will compete in 16 different summer sports and will be divided among five regional teams: Auckland, Central North Island, Southern North Island, Canterbury and Otago-Southland.

The first National Championships were held in Auckland in 1968 and have served as the nation’s breeding ground for both national and international athletes with a physical impairment.

With just 300 days to go until the London 2012 Paralympic Games, some of New Zealand’s athletes will use the National Championships as a springboard for their final stretch of training.

At the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, New Zealand finished 24th in the overall medal standings. It won five golds, three silvers and four bronze.