Boxing’s Jim Little inducted into Sports Hall of Fame
At the 2009 CISNOC National Sports Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner held at the Aroa Nui Hall in Arorangi on Tuesday 25 May 2010, Papa Jim Little was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.
His contribution to sport was featured in the Official Programme and is repeated below.
James Little “Papa Jim”
My interest in amateur boxing started at St. Peter’s College in Auckland and after 4 or so bouts (won 2 lost 2) I decided that my interest would best be served in the administration of the sport. This I did in New Zealand, Niue and the Cook Islands. In Niue I helped organise the preparation of return missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Morman’s) and Golden Gloves Champion Chuck Woodworth for his bout against Tongan Kitione Lave.
Not long after my arrival in Rarotonga in 1958 I met up with the late Sir Pupuke Robati and my years of association with the “Sport of Kings “ in the Cook Islands began and was a continuous interest to me until forced to retire from all sports involvement in 2008 because of ill-health.
During that period I managed numerous Cook Island Boxing Teams to Oceania Championships and was very proud when the Cook Islands hosted a very successful Oceania in the late 1980’s-earlyl990’s. I also served for a number of years on the Cook Islands Amateur Boxing Association Committee and was honoured to be the Boxing Team Manager to the Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
I was also very fortunate to be elected in the mid 1990’s as Senior Vice President of Cook Islands Sport & National Olympic Committee and served for a number of years. During this period Cook Islands Sport (CISNOC) honoured me by appointing me as the Chef de Mission to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
I was one of the members who instigated the development of our national games, today know as the Cook Islands & Zone Games.
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