At the Oceania Athletics Association Congress held in Suva, Fiji Islands, this week the Congress endorsed the nominations of three Oceania Merit Award holders.

The Oceania Athletics Association Merit Award is awarded by the OAA Council to a Member of an affiliated Member Federation or Associate Member Federation who has rendered distinguished service to Athletics in the Oceania Area for a period of at least eight years, or to such other persons who have rendered outstanding services of benefit to the Association. This year’s Awards were presented to three such nominees.

Over the next three days we will meet our 2024 OAA Merit Award Recipients for 2024.

New Zealand’s Ruth Liong has had a long and distinguished career in Athletics in both New Zealand and the Oceania Area.

Ruth has been officiating since 2003 and has moved through the ranks from being a judge, chief judge, through to referee Competition Manager and Technical Delegate at the New Zealand National Track and Field Championships. In 2011 at the IPC World Championships in Christchurch, Ruth got the taste for para-athletics and is now a Technical Delegate at World Para events. In 2024 Ruth has been appointed as Technical Delegate in Dubai, Kobe, Canada and Paris. In addition, she was the TD at the ITM in Christchurch and Competition Director at the 2024 National New Zealand Track and Field Championships. Ruth is a World Athletics Silver Referee and a World Para-Athletics International Technical Official.

Ruth’s commitment to Athletics has been recognised Sport Canterbury where she was awarded the Official of the Year, and she is a Life Member of Canterbury Children’s Association. She was also the chair of the Athletics Canterbury Track and Field Committee and Chair of the Athletics New Zealand National Officials’ Advisory Group.

Congratulations to Ruth Liong on being awarded the Oceania Athletics Association, 2024 Merit Award.