Laquiesha Clifford: Junior World Pool Champion receives Māori Sports Award
Ngāpuhi rangatahi Laquiesha Clifford has been recognised in the ACC-supported Māori Sports Awards after her extraordinary win at the VNEA Junior World Pool Championships, held in the USA in July.
ACC sponsors Māori Sports Awards
For almost two decades, ACC has partnered with Te Tohu Trust to support the Annual Māori Sports Awards event and were proud to be supporting this year’s event that was held in Mount Maunganui on Saturday the 25th of November.
ACC presented two awards: Individual Māori World Champions and Māori World Champion Team.
Individual Māori World Champion
15 year old Laquiesha received an Individual Māori World Champion award, having won 1st Place in the Female Minor (u16) Singles category at the World Pool Championships, with her younger sister Aaliyah Clifford coming close behind in 2nd place.
It was Laquiesha’s first time competing on the world stage “... I was very nervous!! I managed to push through and stay calm, composed, and humble. I felt unique and very proud to be one (of very few) of Māori descent to represent Aotearoa!!”, she says.
She puts her championship win down to hard work, time, dedication, and commitment. But most of all the amazing support, encouragement and help from her wider whānau, friends, local pool clubs and kura.
Laquiesha Clifford with fellow Māori Sports Award recipientsBringing whānau together
Back in 2018, Laquiesha Clifford and her younger sister Aaliyah were introduced to the game of Pool by their Nana Karen Clifford who is a member of Eden's Masse Pool Club, West Auckland and has been playing pool for many years.
Laquiesha explains that the game of Pool has become a family sport for their whānau and is used as whanāu bonding, time and fun to be together especially with Nana Karen who due to recent health conditions can longer compete. So, Laquiesha competes and plays with her Nana in her mind and heart.
Although Laquiesha doesn’t have any pre-event rituals, she credits her mum Janine Clifford with helping her prepare for the duration of the day that can be quite long hours, by ensuring she has a good breakfast and some good food and drink to keep the energy levels up.
Words of advice from a world champion
With worldwide success at such a young age, Laquiesha has the following messages for other Rangatahi looking to following in her steps:
- Having a good attitude, patience and perseverance is the key to success!
- Don’t be scared to try new things! Enjoy what you choose to do, stay humble and be proud of who you are and where you are from.
ACC would like to thank Laquiesha and her whānau for sharing the special place the game of Pool has in the Clifford whānau and we look forward to seeing Laquiesha and her sister continue to grow and succeed in their sporting careers!
Watch the Māori Sports Awards online
You can watch Te Tohu Tākaro o Aotearoa - Māori Sports Awards 2023 on the Māori Television website:
