Having played football since he was 3, Hemi transitioned to the exciting sport of futsal after the Christchurch earthquakes destroyed many football grounds. Now 22, Hemi has competed nationally and also as part of the 2021 NZ Futsal Whites Wider Squad competing internationally. Passionate about ball sports, in 2021 he also made the NZ Māori Football Team, and also very proudly captained his team in the 2021 North vs South Māori Football event as part of growing his leadership skills. This Grant will help Hemi attend the World University Futsal Champs in Portugal as the next step towards a professional global futsal career.