By CHRISTOPHER REIVE.
He’s been part of a junior and four senior World Softball Championship title runs for New Zealand and now Jarrad Martin has another accolade in the sport – a spot in the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame.
The 43-year-old from Waitara was inducted alongside fellow Kiwi softball legends Chubb Tanagroa and Thomas Makea in August, with the trio being the latest New Zealanders to receive the honour.
Jarrad Martin received a plaque and a ring to commemorate his induction into the International Softball Congress Hall of …
ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ
Jarrad Martin received a plaque and a ring to commemorate his induction into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame.
“Growing up, Chubb was one of those players you aspired to be like and, lucky enough, I got to play with him toward the end of his career. For him to be given that award as well is quite special,” Martin said.
While Martin spent over two decades with the national set up, he said the induction came a lot earlier than he thought it might.
“I thought possibly one day it may have happened, but didn’t realise it was going to happen straight away.”
“It’s pretty special, but at the same token it was a special event because two of my other teammates from New Zealand were inducted at the same time.”
He said it was particularly special to be inducted alongside Makea as the pair started their international career together.
After being a part of the Junior Black Sox in the late 1980s, Martin was called up to the senior team in 1991 where he remained a part of the set up until 2013.
Click here to read the complete story and view photos at stuff.co.nz