Tireless Pittman displays Kiwi spirit
Following on from the many discussions about the American elections this week, the president of the New Zealand Society of Hong Kong, Travis Pittman, also turned his thoughts to the polls in his country. 'I wonder how many Kiwis voted this weekend? After the Bledisloe Cup win last weekend, their nationalistic pride should be at an all time high,' said Pittman.
Pittman's visible enthusiasm for his country and its elections is palpable. 'I had been in Hong Kong for about 10 years and I started to think about New Zealand traditions, and I felt a bit homesick, so I joined the New Zealand Society and got involved in the committee during the Sars period.'
Pittman is a big cricket fan, playing for the Kowloon Cricket Club side Infidels in the Sunday league and the Crusaders in the Saturday league. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes on the Sixes, from website design of the tournament in 2004-2006, to event director in 2003 and last year sharing the role of team liaison for the New Zealand side.
'My association with Sixes goes back to when the tournament was played at Hong Kong Stadium in 1996. It rained that year, and we were glad to be under cover,' he said. 'In 1997 it was run again at So Kon Po. There were no Sixes in 1998, 1999 and 2000 due to the Asian financial crisis, but the tournament was back with a vengeance in 2001.'
