Te Ururoa Flavell
MP for Waiariki | Maori Party Whip
Friday August 19 2011
Son of Te Arawa Takes on the World
MP for Waiariki Te Ururoa Flavell congratulates Kingi Biddle on winning the semi-finals of the World Champion Public
Speaking competition in Las Vegas today, and making it to the top 9 speakers in the world to compete for the overall
title.
"I am so proud of Kingi's commitment and determination to get to Las Vegas and represent Aotearoa" says Flavell. “This
has been a real whanau effort. His whanau, his wife Wendy and the whole community have supported Kingi, helping to raise
funds to enable his tamariki and whanau to travel with him as kaitautoko”.
"We always knew Kingi had the gift of the gab - but it’s so exciting to see those gifts putting Aotearoa on the world
map in yet another enterprise” ends Flavell.
Kingi descends from Ngāti Whakaue,Te Arawa, and is a member of the Te Arawa Standing Committee, a Trustee of the Te
Arawa Lakes Trust, and a popular local personality.
He was selected to represent New Zealand at the World Champion Public Speaking Competition when he won the New Zealand
International Prepared Speech award at the national Toastmasters’ competition in June.