Vitaly Miheev
Vitaly Miheev is a Latvian-born, New Zealand-based paintball player, referee, field operator and tournament organiser. Originally from Riga, Latvia, he began playing paintball as a child before moving to New Zealand, where he became involved in competitive paintball and the development of the sport in Auckland.
Miheev has been associated with several New Zealand paintball teams, including Team Insane, ADHD and Reavers. He was also involved in the establishment of South Auckland Paintball Club and became one of the founding members of the business behind Asylum Paintball, a major recreational and tournament facility at the former Kingseat Hospital in South Auckland.
His involvement in the sport has included refereeing national tournaments, operating commercial paintball facilities, supporting international teams and working with the organising staff of the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS), including multiple World Cup Asia events.
Early life and introduction to paintball
Childhood in Latvia
Miheev grew up in Riga, Latvia, where he began playing paintball as a child.
He was involved with the Latvia Paintball Club before emigrating to New Zealand.
His early experience in Latvia predates much of his documented participation in New Zealand competition and forms an important part of his paintball background.
The exact dates of his involvement with the Latvian club and the tournaments in which he participated have not yet been established.
This early history has been documented through firsthand recollections provided to WikiPaintball by fellow New Zealand player Michael Earley, who later played alongside Miheev.[1]
Move to New Zealand
Miheev moved to New Zealand while still of school age and settled in Pukekohe, south of Auckland.
He attended Pukekohe High School, where he met fellow paintball player Michael Earley.
Both had an existing interest in paintball and subsequently became involved in the South Auckland competitive paintball community.
Their association continued through several teams, clubs and commercial paintball projects over the following decades.[1]
Early New Zealand paintball career
Red Alert Paintball Club
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Miheev and Earley joined the Red Alert Paintball Club.
Red Alert was part of the wider South Auckland paintball community during a period when organised competitive paintball was developing through local clubs, independent tournaments and commercial fields.
The club provided a connection to other players interested in progressing beyond recreational paintball.
Miheev's involvement with Red Alert formed part of his early participation in the New Zealand tournament scene.[1]
The exact dates of his membership and the club's complete organisational history have not been independently established.
Team Insane
Miheev subsequently played for Team Insane, an Auckland-based competitive paintball team formed around 2000.
The team was captained by Kevin Lunt and included players associated with the South Auckland competitive paintball community.
Other players associated with the early team included:
- Kevin Lunt
- Andy Lunt
- Neil Morris
- Michael Earley
- Francis Hambrook
- Adam Hambrook
Miheev was part of the team's early playing group.[1]
Team Insane competed in regional and national tournaments during the early 2000s, including three-man and seven-man competitions.
The independent Valhalla National Rankings recorded Insane in second place in the published 2001 national three-man standings, with 181.7 cumulative ranking points, behind DamNatives Red.
The team was also recorded in the 2001 seven-man rankings.[2]
These results document the competitive history of Team Insane as an organisation. They do not establish Miheev's individual participation in every recorded event.
Tournament refereeing
During his university years, Miheev became involved in refereeing major paintball tournaments in New Zealand.
His refereeing activities formed part of the volunteer and event-staff network supporting organised tournament paintball during the early 2000s.[1]
At the time, New Zealand tournament organisers frequently relied on experienced players to officiate matches.
Refereeing responsibilities included enforcing safety and competition rules, monitoring eliminations and supporting the administration of tournament games.
Miheev's experience as both a player and referee would later inform his involvement in tournament organisation and commercial field operations.
A complete record of the tournaments at which he officiated has not yet been recovered.
Return to regular paintball involvement
Renewed participation around 2009
Miheev remained connected with paintball after his early tournament and refereeing years.
Around 2009, he encouraged Michael Earley to return to playing paintball regularly.
This renewed involvement became part of a broader period of activity in Auckland paintball, eventually connecting both players with commercial field operations and new tournament organisations.[1]
Lock N Load Paintball
Miheev began working in the paintball industry at Lock N Load Paintball around 2010.
Lock N Load was a commercial paintball facility near Auckland International Airport, operating from 46 Nixon Road.
The venue developed a collection of themed recreational playing fields and was staffed by people with experience in the sport.
An April 2012 listing in the international World and Regional Paintball Information Guide (WARPIG) documented Lock N Load's location, facilities and services.[3]
Miheev's work at the venue marked an important transition from tournament participation and refereeing into professional paintball operations.
His involvement contributed to the experience he later applied to developing and managing Asylum Paintball.
Asylum Paintball
Establishment
Miheev was part of the founding group behind Asylum Paintball, established at the former Kingseat Hospital site in Karaka, South Auckland.
The business began developing the site in 2012 and opened its paintball operation during 2013.
Asylum occupied part of the former hospital complex, including buildings previously used as high-security wards.
The unusual location allowed the operators to develop a combination of indoor and outdoor recreational paintball, close-quarters playing areas and tournament facilities.
Miheev was involved in establishing and operating the business alongside Anton Klimenko and other members of the founding team.[1][4]
A contemporary 2014 media report identified Miheev and Klimenko as owners of the facility. The report was reproduced and discussed by an independent New Zealand blogger in April 2014.[4]
Management
Miheev became closely associated with the management and daily operations of Asylum Paintball.
The business's public directory listing identified him under management, while Anton Klimenko was listed in an accounting role.[5]
Asylum operated recreational paintball fields, indoor close-quarters areas and competitive tournament facilities.
The business also supported local tournament teams and visiting international competitors.
Its facilities were used for training sessions, club competitions and larger tournament events.
In addition to its commercial activities, Asylum provided infrastructure for the development of competitive paintball in Auckland.
Tournament facilities
Asylum developed dedicated tournament playing areas, including inflatable Sup'Air-style fields suitable for speedball and X-Ball competition.
The venue became associated with events organised by the New Zealand Paintball Players League (NZPPL), the South Auckland Paintball Club (SAPC) and independent tournament organisers.
A March 2014 media release confirmed that Asylum hosted the 2013 NZPPL series final and was scheduled to host further league events during 2014.[6]
The facility also hosted the South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series.
These activities made Asylum an important venue for competitive paintball during the mid-2010s.
Asylum Paintball Cup
Miheev's role at Asylum included supporting visiting teams attending major competitions at the venue.
The Asylum Paintball Cup attracted players from New Zealand and overseas.
In October 2015, Australian team Hard2Overcome published an account of travelling to Auckland for the Asylum Cup.
The team specifically thanked Miheev for helping arrange alternative accommodation after problems developed with its original booking.
The report identified him as the person running Asylum Paintball and acknowledged the assistance provided by Miheev and the venue staff.[7]
The contemporary account provides independent evidence of his involvement in hosting and supporting international tournament competitors.
South Auckland Paintball Club
Miheev was involved in establishing the South Auckland Paintball Club, an organisation created to support regular competitive paintball in the Auckland region.[1]
The club developed a tournament series using Asylum Paintball as an important playing venue.
Its competitions offered opportunities for players at different skill levels, including open X-Ball and mechanical or pump divisions.
The SAPC Race Series became part of the New Zealand competitive calendar during the mid-2010s.
2014 Race Series
The 2014 SAPC season included four recorded tournament rounds.
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| SAPC February Race #1 | 8–9 February 2014 |
| SAPC May Race #2 | 3–4 May 2014 |
| SAPC July Race #3 | 12–13 July 2014 |
| SAPC September Race #4 | 27–28 September 2014 |
The results were recorded by PBLeagues.[8]
The series supported regular tournament participation without requiring teams to travel to major national events for every competition.
The club also provided a pathway for new competitors to gain experience in organised speedball.
ADHD paintball team
Miheev was a founding member of ADHD, an Auckland-based competitive paintball team associated with Asylum Paintball.[1]
The team became one of the leading competitors in the South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series during 2014.
PBLeagues records ADHD's registration on 15 January 2014, with Asylum Paintball listed as its home field.[9]
2014 competitive season
ADHD recorded several notable results during 2014.
| Competition | Result |
|---|---|
| SAPC February Race #1 | 1st of 6 |
| SAPC May Race #2 | 1st of 8 |
| SAPC July Race #3 | 1st of 7 |
| NZPPL Race 2-4 Event 2, Auckland | 1st of 6, Pro X-Ball |
| SAPC September Race #4 | 1st of 5 |
| World Cup Asia, Malaysia | 12th of 22, Division 2 |
Source: PBLeagues tournament database.[9]
ADHD won all four rounds of the 2014 SAPC Open X-Ball season.
The team finished first in the published season standings with 400 ranking points.[8]
These are team results rather than an individually verified record of Miheev's participation in each match.
World Cup Asia
ADHD competed at the 2014 Paintball World Cup Asia in Malaysia.
The event was held from 7 to 9 November 2014.
The team finished twelfth out of twenty-two entries in Division 2, according to PBLeagues.[9]
Its participation reflected the connection between the Auckland tournament community and the wider Asian competitive paintball circuit.
The team's appearance should be distinguished from Miheev's separate work with the organising staff of international Asian tournaments.
International tournament involvement
Paintball Asia League Series
Miheev became involved with the wider Asian tournament community through the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS).
His involvement included working as part of the tournament operations team rather than participating exclusively as a competitor.[1]
PALS was an important international paintball competition network during the 2000s and 2010s, attracting teams and players from across Asia, Oceania and other regions.
Its events required experienced referees, organisers and technical personnel to support competition across multiple divisions.
Miheev's previous experience in New Zealand tournament refereeing and commercial paintball operations provided a background for this work.
World Cup Asia event staff
Miheev worked on the event staff at multiple editions of Paintball World Cup Asia.[1]
These events brought international teams to Malaysia and formed part of the wider PALS competition calendar.
His involvement contributed to the operational side of international tournament paintball, alongside his activities as a player, team founder and commercial field operator in New Zealand.
The exact years, formal job titles and full list of World Cup Asia events at which he worked have not yet been independently established.
Reavers paintball team
In a later period of his paintball career, Miheev helped establish Reavers, a New Zealand paintball team.[1]
His involvement represented a continuation of his work supporting new teams and competitive participation after his earlier activities with Team Insane and ADHD.
The team's founding date, complete roster and competitive results have not yet been independently documented.
Career overview
| Period | Involvement |
|---|---|
| Childhood | Began playing paintball in Riga, Latvia, with Latvia Paintball Club |
| School years | Moved to Pukekohe, New Zealand, and became involved in the South Auckland paintball community |
| Late 1990s–early 2000s | Member of Red Alert Paintball Club and player for Team Insane |
| Early 2000s | Refereed major New Zealand paintball tournaments during university years |
| Around 2009 | Returned to regular involvement in competitive paintball |
| Around 2010 | Began working at Lock N Load Paintball |
| 2012–2013 | Part of the founding and development team of Asylum Paintball |
| 2010s | Helped establish South Auckland Paintball Club |
| 2014 | Founding member of ADHD, which won the SAPC Open X-Ball season |
| 2010s | Worked with PALS tournament operations and at multiple World Cup Asia events |
| 2015 | Involved in hosting international teams at the Asylum Paintball Cup |
| Later career | Helped establish the Reavers paintball team |
Dates in this overview are approximate where based on personal recollections rather than contemporary published records.
Contributions to New Zealand paintball
Miheev's involvement in paintball has extended across several areas of the sport.
As a player, he participated in the development of Auckland tournament teams from the early 2000s onward.
As a referee, he contributed to the administration of organised competition.
His work at Lock N Load and Asylum Paintball connected his competitive experience with the operation of commercial playing facilities.
Through Asylum and South Auckland Paintball Club, he helped provide infrastructure and regular tournament opportunities for Auckland players.
His involvement with ADHD contributed to a successful period for the team in the 2014 South Auckland Race Series, while his participation in the wider PALS community connected New Zealand paintball with international tournament operations.
His later involvement with Reavers continued this pattern of supporting the development of teams.
Miheev's career illustrates the importance of individuals who contribute to paintball in multiple capacities, including playing, refereeing, facility management, tournament organisation and club development.
Historical sources
The early stages of Miheev's career, including his childhood participation in Latvia, move to New Zealand, membership of Red Alert and Team Insane, and university-era refereeing, are documented principally through firsthand recollections supplied to WikiPaintball.
Later activities have stronger surviving published documentation.
Contemporary reports, business listings and tournament databases independently establish his management role at Asylum Paintball, the venue's involvement in New Zealand tournament competition and the recorded results of ADHD and the South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series.
The surviving material does not yet establish complete individual playing rosters, refereeing appointments or international event staffing records for every period of his career.
See also
- Paintball in New Zealand
- Paintball in Latvia
- Team Insane
- ADHD (paintball team)
- Red Alert Paintball Club
- Reavers (paintball team)
- Michael Earley
- Lock N Load Paintball
- Asylum Paintball
- South Auckland Paintball Club
- New Zealand Paintball Players League
- Paintball Asia League Series
- Paintball World Cup Asia
References
- Michael Earley, firsthand recollections provided to WikiPaintball, October 2026. Documents Miheev's childhood involvement in Latvia, move to Pukekohe, participation with Red Alert and Team Insane, tournament refereeing, involvement with Lock N Load and Asylum Paintball, founding roles in ADHD and South Auckland Paintball Club, PALS event-staff activities and involvement with Reavers. Unpublished oral-history evidence.
- Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001. Mercenaries Star. Contemporary national rankings documenting Team Insane's three-man and seven-man competitive results.
- Paintball Field Directory – New Zealand. World and Regional Paintball Information Guide (WARPIG). Historic listings for Lock N Load Paintball and Asylum Paintball.
- Who You Going to Call? – Ghost Hunters (of Auckland). A Life Just as Ordinary, 3 April 2014. Reproduces excerpts from a contemporary Stuff report naming Miheev and Anton Klimenko as Asylum Paintball's owners. The original report misspelled Miheev's surname.
- Asylum Paintball Business Profile. Cylex New Zealand. Historical company information identifying Vitaly Miheev in management, Anton Klimenko in accounting and other members of the operating team.
- Blacksheep Media Release – 2013 NZPPL Video. Scoop, 16 March 2014. Documents Asylum Paintball's tournament facilities, its hosting of the 2013 NZPPL final and planned 2014 events.
- Hard2Overcome Heads to New Zealand. DYE Paintball, 13 October 2015. Firsthand account from the Australian team describing Miheev as Asylum Paintball's operator and thanking him for assisting visiting players.
- South Auckland Paintball Club – 2014 Season Rankings. PBLeagues. Records the four-round SAPC season and ADHD's championship result.
- ADHD Team Profile. PBLeagues. Records the team's registration, Asylum home field and tournament results, including World Cup Asia 2014 and the SAPC Race Series.