One of the biggest numbers of participants at the NZCT AIMS Games is the basketball tournament, where 29 teams are chasing the girls and boy's gold medals on offer. In today's action, the quarterfinalists emerged in the boys division at the Mount Action Centre.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate goalie stops a goal.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate vs Kaitaia Intermediate.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate vs John Paul College.

In the absence of last year's titleholders Hastings – the 2008 runner-up, Northcross Intermediate, has made their intentions clear this year. In the quarterfinals they will meet regional rivals Auckland Normal.
Tauranga Intermediate, who won the silver medal in 2007, will face fellow Bay of Plenty contenders Rotorua, Otumoetai face Murrays Bay, with South Island side Cobham Intermediate to play Tamatea.
One well-known name at the football tournament at Blake Park is former All White Shane Rufer, who is the manager of the Palmerston North Intermediate boys' side. The team from the lower North Island are looking genuine title contenders after posting four wins on the first two days.
On day one, Palmerston defeated Te Puke 6-0 but had a real battle with last years' champions Northcross, winning 3-2. Today they got past Hutt Intermediate 5-0 before waltzing away from Tahatai Coast 9-0.
In the girls division last year's silver medallist, Pukekohe, has made their intentions clear from the start of the tournament. They started with wins over Mount Maunganui 6-0, Fairfield 8-0 and finished day one with a 3-0 victory over Otumoetai Intermediate and have beaten Bethlehem College 4-0.
Further gold was decided in the badminton on day two, with the girls' singles and doubles completed. In the singles, Caragh Alley from Pukehou school in Hawkes Bay straight-setted Nicki Bow (Rotoua Intermediate) 21-11, 21-7 to win the gold medal.
A real thriller took place in the bronze medal playoff between two Ilminster Intermediate players. Chase Huhu took the first set 23-21, before Shanayah Pohorama came back to grab the second stanza 21-16. The bronze medal was taken out by Chase who won the decider 21-16.
The two Ilminster youngsters teamed together to win the doubles gold medal, defeating Alicia Robertson and Bridget Cudbey from Havelock North Intermediate. In a good day for Ilminster, their team won the teams gold medal.
The boys' tennis competition on day two belonged to a pocket rocket from Cobham Intermediate. After Kai Lee won his quarterfinal in a three set marathon, he faced a semi-final against the tournament top seed Young Baek from Heaton Intermediate.
In a game of attrition that lasted over three hours, the Cobham youngster won the David and Goliath battle 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, to advance to tomorrow's final. His opponent will be number two seed Brad Currie from Bethlehem College, who got past Trent Smith 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 in their semi-final encounter.
The girls' singles went according to form with number one seed Kelly Drew (Pukekohe Intermediate) to meet tournament second seed Ilsje Erasmus (Heaton Intermediate). The Pukekohe player should be hard to beat after winning the silver medal last year.
In the golf competition Pongokawa school representative Charlie Hillier, took full advantage of his home course to establish a solid lead in the gross competition. He shot an 86 off the stick to go with his 78 yesterday to lead Vincent Guam from Cobham Intermediate by 14 shots.
A measure of Charlie Hillier's efforts at the golf tournament is that he also leads the stableford division. Coupled with fellow pupil Sam Nichols who is second, Pongokawa have a big lead in the team's stableford event
A large and enthusiastic crowd was poolside at Baywave on Tuesday evening for the finals of the swimming finals.
The star of the night was Glen Eden Intermediate swimmer Michael Mincham, who took out the gold medal in the boys' Year 8 division. Michael made a clean sweep of all but two of the individual events that he competed in finals night, winning nine individual titles.
The only swimmer to best Michael on the night was Glen Fraser from Taupo, who took out the 50m and 100m breaststroke races and took the silver medal in the Year 8 Boys Division. Jarrad Hawes (Bethlehem) won the bronze medal.
Fellow Glen Eden competitors Niko Notman was also in good form annexing the gold medal in the boys' Year 7 division. Wilrich Coetze (Northcross) will receive the silver medal at the NZCT AIMS Games' prizegiving on Friday, with Matt Scott (Campion) to receive the bronze medallion.
In the girls' Year 7 division, Sophie Cooper made it a treble for Glen Eden in the individual events, winning the title from Samantha Brown (Glen Eden) and Tamara Lambert (Tamatea).
The girls' Year 8 crown went to Charlotte O'Hara from Kristin School, with silver to Rachel Smith (Northcross) and the bronze medal won by Liana Smith (Glenbrook).

Swimming Results
Finals Points
Boys Year 7
1st Niko Notman (Glen Eden) 2nd Wilrich Coetze (Northcross) 2nd Matt Scott (Campion)
Girls Year 7
1st Sophie Cooper (Glen Eden) 2nd Samantha Brown (Glen Eden) 3rd Tamara Lambert (Tamatea)
Boys Year 8
1st Michael Mincham (Glen Eden) 2nd Glen Fraser (Taupo) 3rd Jarrad Hawes (Bethlehem)
Girls Year 8
1st Charlotte O'Hara (Kristin) 2nd Rachel Smith (Northcross) 3rd Liana Smith Glenbrook)

Golf Result - Day Two
Gross: Charlie Hillier 160 (Pongokawa) Vincent Guan 174 (Cobham) Joe Yen 176 (Tauranga) Zane Rangihika 177 (Putauaki)
Stableford: Charlie Hillier 86, San Nichols 80 (Pongokawa) Keegan Wiltshier 78 (Aquinas) 77 Nicholas Cope 77 (Kristin)
Team Stableford: Pongokawa 242, Matamata 206, Rotorua 198, Otumoetai A 187, Otumoetai B 144.

Badminton
Girls Singles
Final: Caragh Alley (Pukehou) defeated Nikki Bow (Rotorua) 21-11, 21-7
Third Place: Chase Huhu (Ilminster) defeated Shanayah Pohorama (Ilminster) 23-21, 16-21, 21-16
Girls Doubles
Final: Chase Huhu and Shanayah Pohorama (Ilminster) defeated Alicia Robertson and Bridget Cudbey (Havelock North)
Girls Teams winner: Ilminster