I karahui ngā rangatira o Ngāi Tahu me te Komiti Orimipia Aotearoa ki te whakamana i tētahi hononga ōkawa. Kua hia tau a Ngāi Tahu e taunaki ana i te komiti ma te koha pounamu ki ngā kaihākinakina Aotearoa.
Mā hea atu i te pounamu hei tohu i tēnei tūhononga kōtuku rerenga tahi.
Hei tā Mike Stanley - Tūmuaki Komiti Ōrimipia Aotearoa, “It is a real honour that Ngāi Tahu allow us to use your taonga for our team.”
Tata ki te tekau tau a Ngāti Waewae me Ngāi Tahu e tautoko ana i ngā kaupapa Orimipia, para-rimipia Aotearoa hoki. I tēnei tau e wha rau tekau ma waru ngā taonga i hanga mō ngā kaihākinakina katoa o Aoteroa ka haere ki Rio.
Tā Mark Solomon - Ngāi Tahu, “This afternoon we will be gifting 480 pounamu toki which all individually notched and will be presented to the Olympics athletes at the games.”
Neke atu i te toru marama ngā kaihanga tokotoru nō Ngāti Waewae e hanga ana i ngā taonga kawakawa nei, no te awa tapu o Arahura. I kohangia hoki he taonga ki ngā kaiwhakahaere, āra ki a Rob Waddell rāua ko Ben Lucas.
Hei tā Rob Waddell - Kaiwhakahaere Orimpia Aotearoa, “In less than 49 days’ time our team will march into the opening ceremony at Rio and this will be one very special thing that binds us all together and we'd like to think this is something that will give us an edge, something no other country has, something that is very unique and very special to NZ.'
Ko tā Ben Lucas - Kaiwhakahaere, Para rimipia Aotearoa, “These pounamu taonga will connect the Paralympic team with all kiwis at home in NZ, in turn they will connect with each other as a NZ team.”
Tūturu te korero, ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.
Hei tā Anthony Coakley - Kaihanga, Ngāti Waewae, “It's our special taonga aye, and it represents us as Ngāti Waewae, Ngāi Tahu. Also for them to take a piece of Pounamu with them to treasure and to hold its pretty cool, and I hope they enjoy it and it looks after them.”
