The successful coach of the New Zealand women's basketball team from 1972-77 received a standing ovation at the Otago Sports Awards at the Dunedin Town Hall.
Paul (72) is well known to Otago basketball fans and has been a permanent fixture on the sidelines for the last 53 years.
He was a successful coach of the Otago women's team from 1967 to 1977 that won the national title five times and was runner-up on another three occasions.
Paul was an assistant coach with the Otago Nuggets during their heyday from 1994-97, when they finished third in 1995 and fourth in 1997.
It was a time when 3000 fans turned up regularly to games at the Dunedin Stadium.
He married South Island basketball representative Valerie Whitrow in 1964 and the sport has been a popular topic around the dinner table.
Paul played for Otago at basketball for 10 years from 1953 and represented the South Island in 1957.
He was a versatile sportsman and played football for Otago against Southland in 1960 but the highlight was to be outside-left for Technical Old Boys when it finished runner-up to Mount Roskill in the Chatham Cup.
Paul was a stylish right-handed batsman in the nine years he played senior cricket for the Albion Club. He played his first game as a 15-year-old in the 1955-56 season.
His long involvement in women's sport was recognised with video tributes from Dame Lois Muir and White Fern Suzie Bates.
