The 32nd New Zealand Games for the Deaf wrapped up with a presentation dinner-and-dance evening at Addington Raceway’s ‘Twiggers’ on Sunday 25th October 1987. A jam-packed evening with plenty of talking, sitting down, a buffet meal, dancing to live music, and group photos, with the venue closing 1.30am.
Athletics, basketball, golf, lawn bowls, netball, table-tennis were all featured at the Games. Squash, golf, volleyball, football and badminton were either cancelled/or did not count towards Aotearoa Turi shield points. The Aotearoa Turi Shield went to Christchurch with 18 points (bowls – 3 pts, table tennis 10 pts, basketball 8 pts). Second place was Auckland with 15 points (bowls 1 pt, table tennis 6 pts, athletics 5 pts, netball 3 pts, basketball 1 pt) with third place going to Manawatu (11 pts). Wellington came in fourth with 7 points. Waikato, Taranaki, Otago, Hawkes Bay did not gain any points.
Note: There would be no NZ Games for the Deaf in the following year – Labour Weekend 1988 – to allow athletes to prepare for the World Games for the Deaf in January 1989. The Outstanding Sportsperson award went to Ricki Pointon (Wellington).
