SPORT IN ASHBURTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9432, 1 February 1921, Page 4

SPORT IN ASHBURTON.

j Sir, —l, among others, was very pleased to see your leader m last Tuesday's paper, trying to arouse fresh interest m athletics m Ashburton. I could not understand how it was that such a large centre did not hold at least one athletic sports meeting a year. Surely finance was not the only bar. If Ashburton cannot hold a sports- meeting then Hinds can, and isr again coming to the fore early m April. I notice you failed to,mention this club m your leader. Yet I believe that up to the present it is the/ only one among, the athletic clubs of the Ashburton County which has held a sports meeting since the war. Want of' money has not blocked it so far, though both last year for a start and again this year its banking account was nil. But owing to the splendid support received from all whom, iwe approached m the matter, we were Vible to hold a very eucessful gathering, and I have no doubt we shall receive the same generous support this season as on previous occasions. What a country centre can do, .surely the principal town of the County should be able to do, and we should be pleased to again see Ashburton holding athletic sports. In the past our club has been, dependent on South Canterbury for the majority of its competitors. This should not be the case. Last year in' the Sheffield Handicap we received some thirty-five entries, which speaks for itself. I am informed that we may look forward to a record entry from competitors both from north and south this year. I think it is high time Ashburton woke up m the matter of athletics. COLIN D. CHISNALL, Hon Sec. Hinds Athletic Club. Hinds, 27th January, 1921.