Vitaly Miheev
Vitaly Miheev is a Latvian-born, New Zealand-based paintball player, referee, field operator and tournament organiser. Originally from Riga, Latvia, he has been involved in paintball since childhood and has contributed to the development of recreational and competitive paintball in New Zealand and internationally.
Miheev was an early member of Team Insane, a founding member of ADHD and part of the founding teams behind Asylum Paintball and the South Auckland Paintball Club. His career has also included working at Lock N Load Paintball, refereeing major tournaments and serving on the event staff of the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS), including multiple World Cup Asia tournaments.
More recently, he has been involved in establishing the New Zealand paintball team Reavers.
Early life and introduction to paintball
[edit]Miheev grew up in Riga, Latvia, where he began playing paintball as a child.
He was a member of the Latvia Paintball Club before moving to New Zealand.[1]
After settling in Pukekohe, south of Auckland, Miheev attended Pukekohe High School, where he met fellow paintball player Michael Earley.
Their shared interest in paintball led to their involvement in the South Auckland tournament community, beginning an association that continued through several teams, clubs and commercial paintball projects.
Early New Zealand paintball career
[edit]Red Alert Paintball Club
[edit]Miheev joined the Red Alert Paintball Club during his early years in New Zealand.
The club was part of the Auckland tournament paintball community during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when regional competitions and independent teams provided opportunities for players to develop their competitive experience.
His involvement with Red Alert helped establish his connections within New Zealand tournament paintball.[1]
Team Insane
[edit]Miheev subsequently joined Team Insane, an Auckland-based competitive paintball team formed around 2000.
The team competed in regional and national tournaments, including three-man and seven-man competitions.
Team Insane appeared in the Valhalla National Rankings during the early 2000s.
The team finished second in the published 2001 national three-man rankings with 181.7 cumulative ranking points, behind DamNatives Red.[2]
Miheev's membership of the team is documented through firsthand recollections. The surviving rankings identify the team's results but do not provide complete individual player rosters for each competition.
Tournament refereeing
[edit]During his university years, Miheev became involved in refereeing major New Zealand paintball tournaments.
His work included officiating at competitions in Rotorua and other events within the national tournament circuit.[1]
At the time, New Zealand paintball relied heavily on experienced players and volunteers to referee competitions and assist with tournament operations.
Miheev's refereeing experience provided a foundation for his later involvement in organising and supporting competitive events, both in New Zealand and internationally.
Return to competitive paintball
[edit]Around 2009, Miheev became increasingly involved in regular paintball participation again.
He encouraged former teammate Michael Earley to return to playing, helping renew their involvement in the Auckland paintball community.[1]
This period marked the beginning of Miheev's transition toward a more significant role in commercial field operations and organised competitive paintball.
Lock N Load Paintball
[edit]Miheev began working at Lock N Load Paintball around 2010.
Lock N Load was a commercial paintball facility operating from 46 Nixon Road near Auckland International Airport.
The venue offered recreational paintball and themed playing fields, and became part of Auckland's commercial paintball scene during the early 2010s.[3]
Miheev's work at Lock N Load provided experience in the operational side of the paintball industry, preceding his involvement in establishing Asylum Paintball.
Asylum Paintball
[edit]Establishment
[edit]Miheev was part of the founding team behind Asylum Paintball, established at the former Kingseat Hospital site in Karaka, South Auckland.
Development of the venue began in 2012, with the paintball operation opening in 2013.
Asylum combined recreational paintball with indoor close-quarters environments and outdoor tournament facilities.
A contemporary 2014 news report identified Miheev as one of the owners of Asylum Paintball.[4]
Management and development
[edit]Miheev was closely involved in the management and operation of Asylum Paintball.
The business developed into one of Auckland's established paintball venues, offering recreational games, indoor playing areas and dedicated speedball facilities.
Asylum also became an important training and competition venue for New Zealand tournament paintball.
The facility hosted regional and national events, including competitions associated with the New Zealand Paintball Players League (NZPPL), South Auckland Paintball Club and the Asylum Paintball Cup.[5]
Miheev's involvement helped connect commercial paintball operations with the competitive playing community.
South Auckland Paintball Club
[edit]Miheev helped establish the South Auckland Paintball Club (SAPC), which organised regular tournament competition in the Auckland region.[1]
The club developed the SAPC Race Series, using Asylum Paintball as an important tournament venue.
Its competitions provided opportunities for established teams and developing players to compete in modern speedball formats.
The 2014 SAPC season featured four tournament rounds, with results recorded in PBLeagues.[6]
The organisation contributed to rebuilding and sustaining regular competitive paintball activity in South Auckland during the 2010s.
ADHD paintball team
[edit]Miheev was a founding member of ADHD, an Auckland-based competitive paintball team associated with Asylum Paintball.[1]
ADHD became one of the leading teams in the South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series.
The team's PBLeagues profile records its registration in January 2014, with Asylum Paintball listed as its home field.[7]
Competitive achievements
[edit]During 2014, ADHD won all four rounds of the SAPC Open X-Ball season, finishing first in the overall standings with 400 ranking points.[6]
The team also won a New Zealand Paintball Players League event in Auckland and competed internationally.
World Cup Asia
[edit]ADHD participated in the 2014 Paintball World Cup Asia in Malaysia.
The team finished twelfth out of twenty-two entries in Division 2, according to PBLeagues.[7]
The event was part of the team's participation in the wider Asia-Pacific tournament scene.
The published results document ADHD's achievements as a team rather than Miheev's individual match participation.
International tournament involvement
[edit]Paintball Asia League Series
[edit]Miheev was involved in tournament operations with the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS), an international competition series that brought together teams from across Asia, Oceania and other regions.
His involvement included working as part of the tournament staff and supporting the organisation and operation of international events.[1]
This represented a continuation of his earlier refereeing and tournament experience in New Zealand.
Paintball World Cup Asia
[edit]Miheev worked on the event staff at multiple editions of Paintball World Cup Asia.
The competition was one of the major international events within the PALS calendar, attracting teams and players from numerous countries.
His participation connected him with the wider international tournament community and contributed to the operation of major competitions outside New Zealand.
The specific years and formal staff positions held at each event have not yet been independently established.
Reavers paintball team
[edit]More recently, Miheev helped establish Reavers, continuing his involvement in the development of competitive paintball teams in New Zealand.[1]
His involvement with Reavers followed earlier founding roles with Team Insane-era playing groups and ADHD, extending his participation in the sport across multiple generations of New Zealand tournament paintball.
The team's founding date and competitive record require further documentation.
Contributions to paintball
[edit]Miheev's career has encompassed several different aspects of paintball, including competitive playing, refereeing, commercial field operations, club development and international tournament administration.
His early involvement with Red Alert and Team Insane placed him within New Zealand's developing tournament scene during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
During the 2010s, his work at Lock N Load and role in establishing Asylum Paintball contributed to the development of commercial playing facilities and tournament infrastructure in Auckland.
Through ADHD and South Auckland Paintball Club, he was involved in creating opportunities for regular competitive participation.
His work with PALS and World Cup Asia extended his involvement beyond New Zealand into international tournament operations.
His subsequent involvement with Reavers reflects a continuing commitment to developing teams and supporting competitive paintball.
Career timeline
[edit]| Period | Involvement |
|---|---|
| Childhood | Began playing paintball in Riga, Latvia, with Latvia Paintball Club |
| School years | Moved to Pukekohe, New Zealand |
| Late 1990s–early 2000s | Joined Red Alert Paintball Club and played for Team Insane |
| Early 2000s | Refereed major New Zealand tournaments during university years |
| Around 2009 | Returned to regular paintball participation |
| Around 2010 | Began working at Lock N Load Paintball |
| 2012–2013 | Helped establish Asylum Paintball |
| 2010s | Helped found South Auckland Paintball Club |
| 2014 | Founding member of ADHD, which won the SAPC Open X-Ball season |
| 2010s | Worked with PALS tournament operations and World Cup Asia event staff |
| Later career | Helped establish Reavers paintball team |
Dates are approximate where based on firsthand recollections rather than contemporary published records.
Sources and documentation
[edit]Miheev's early paintball history, including his childhood involvement in Latvia, move to New Zealand, membership of Red Alert and Team Insane, and early refereeing, has been documented through firsthand recollections supplied to WikiPaintball.
His later involvement with Asylum Paintball, South Auckland Paintball Club and ADHD is supported by contemporary media coverage, business publications and tournament records.
His work with PALS, World Cup Asia and Reavers is currently documented through firsthand recollections. Further event programmes, staff lists and team records may provide additional verification.
See also
[edit]- Paintball in New Zealand
- Paintball in Latvia
- Team Insane
- ADHD (paintball team)
- Red Alert Paintball Club
- Reavers (paintball team)
- Lock N Load Paintball
- Asylum Paintball
- South Auckland Paintball Club
- Paintball Asia League Series
- Paintball World Cup Asia
References
[edit]- Michael Earley, firsthand recollections supplied to WikiPaintball, October 2026. Documents Miheev's early involvement in Latvia and New Zealand, membership of Red Alert and Team Insane, tournament refereeing, commercial paintball work, club and team founding activities, and PALS involvement. Unpublished oral-history evidence.
- Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001. Mercenaries Star. Historical national rankings documenting Team Insane's tournament results.
- Paintball Field Directory. WARPIG. Historical listing of New Zealand paintball venues, including Lock N Load.
- Mystery at the Asylum. Stuff, April 2014. Contemporary report identifying Miheev among Asylum Paintball's owners.
- Blacksheep Media Release – 2013 NZPPL Video. Scoop, 16 March 2014. Documents Asylum Paintball's tournament facilities and involvement with NZPPL competitions.
- South Auckland Paintball Club – 2014 Season Rankings. PBLeagues. Records the four-round SAPC season and ADHD's overall championship.
- ADHD Team Profile. PBLeagues. Documents ADHD's competition history, including its 2014 World Cup Asia result.