Spectators at the National Summer Games this week might be seeing double with two sets of Tauranga twins competing at the Special Olympics New Zealand event in Christchurch.

Both pairs are stepping into their first games, bringing enthusiasm, determination and the telepathic-like connection that has quickly made them standouts in their teams.

The National Summer Games begin on Wednesday.

Ken and Ra Mahanga are 15-year-old identical twins in the Tauranga basketball squad and only joined the team recently.

Coach Tina Maitland said the change in them had been massive.

“When they came to us, they had some skills, but once we pushed the advanced techniques, they just absorbed everything.

“They’re like sponges, they’ll try anything you give them.”

Their rapid improvement earned both boys selection for the NZ Men’s Whaikaha basketball team, the national high-performance side for players with intellectual impairments.

Ken and Ra’s teammates and coaches all talk about their instinctive connection.

“If one moves, the other is already anticipating the next play. It’s incredible to watch,” Maitland said.

Asked about their ‘twin telepathy’, the twins quietly laughed.

They said they simply liked playing with their friends and were excited to improve their teamwork and communication.

While being alike gave them power on the court, Maitland said learning independence was just as important.

Ra and Ken Mahanga (left, at rear) with their team ready for nationals. Photo / Aimee Muller

“They’re lethal together, but sometimes they forget they’re on the court with others.

“We play them separately at times to help them grow a broader sense of family in the team.”

In the pool, another set of twins, Dev and Josh du Preez, aged 20, also bring their own brand of twin synergy.

Known to their coaches in Tauranga as the “Torpedo Twins”, they have only been swimming for two years, and have quickly become some of the squad’s most improved athletes.

Coach Dave Millington, who has worked with them for about the past nine months, said their work ethic set them apart.

“They’re exceptionally respectful and whatever you ask them to do, there’s no questioning, they give 100%.”

Dev specialises in breaststroke, while Josh has been focused on refining his freestyle technique.

Dev and Josh du Preez with their family. Photo / Aimee Muller

Long-time coach for the team, David Turner said their synchronicity in the pool was remarkable.

“You can just watch them swim together and they mirror each other.

“If one’s arm drifts to the right, the other’s goes left. They’re an exceptional pair.”

For their parents, the biggest changes had happened outside the pool.

The twins’ father Darius du Preez said they had become known in their community for their friendliness.

“They talk to everyone. They’ve really opened up.”

For all four boys, the week in Christchurch is a chance to grow, compete and experience something few athletes ever do.

And whether on the court or in the pool, one thing is certain: spectators might want to look twice.

Aimee Muller is a journalism student at the University of Canterbury.