SPORTS TOPICS ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 20, 3 November 1938, Page 3

SPORTS TOPICS

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS (“By Flagpole.”) /* Saturday— Cricket Competitions. Bowling. Tennis Competitions commence. Golf Matches. Croquet. A Tour Declined. The famous Danish swimmer, Miss R. Hveger, who holds a large number of world’s records, was recently invited to tour Australia during the pre sent summer, but she has declined to make the trip. British Sporting Tradition. Members of the English Soccer team which recently beat Germany by six goals to three in Berlin received a gift from the British Football Association in appreciation of the fact that “every member of the team, even although determined to win, realised that his play must be consistent with the best British sporting tradition.”

Wooderson’s Record Attempt. S. C. Wooderson’s reason for failing to break Jack Lovelock’s 1500 metre' record in hib recent attempt is this: “The wind at some stages was so stiff that I was hardly able to breathe. Therefore I did not think of going ‘all out.’ ’’ World Football Championship. When Italy defeated Hungary in the final of the world football championship in Paris recently, a committee was appointed to select an All-Europe side to meet England for the benefit of the Football League’s Jubilee Fund in London on October 26. An effort will be made to bring England into the World Cup fold. The event is held every four years. Brilliant Golfer. Harry Cooper, London-horn American professional golfer, continues as one of America’s star performers. With a second round of 66 he broke the course record in the recent Canadian open championship at Toronto. A. L. Fitch in Canterbury. The imposition of a 5s coaching and training levy for senior men athletes and a 2s 6d levy for women and junior athletes was approved at the annual general meeting of. the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association. The levy will help to cover the expense incurred in the leasing of Rugby Park and the engagement of the American coach, A It. Fitch. It will cost the Association £5 per day for Fitch’s services. Tilden’s High Fees. W. T. Tilden’s terms for one tennis lesson are £2O, or £3O for three. Lord Pollington, who qualified in the recent English covered courts singles and had to meet Borotra thought he would like a few lessons from Tilden. “I wouldn’t have minded paying a fiver, but £2O was too high,” said Lord Pollington. S. N. Donst, the former Australian player, suggests that Tilden quoted a high figure because he does not want to take up tennis teaching.

Women’s International Tennis Contest.

There is a strong possibility that next year there will be inaugurated a women’s international lawn tennis contest run on the lines of the Davis Cup, according to some of the lawn tennis experts in England. Mr W. H. Walker, manager of the touring Australian women’s team, said that he thought such a contest would be approved by the International Lawn Tennis Federation at its meeting in France next March. He added that a tentative plan had already been drawn up for the competition, and he thought that such a. tournament would take place biennial lv.

Baseball in Auckland. The first representative baseball match to be held in Auckland provided the publio with thrills and a sound idea of the game which has captivated the American public. The Wellington side, which has had considerable experience, found that the Auckland players hacl mastered the main features of the play and it was only the better backing up of the visiting fielders of their pitchers which was responsible for Auckland’s defeat. It is anticipated that a competition in Auckland will he in full swing very shortly.

Budge as Professional. The decision of Donald Budge to turn professional appears at the moment to have brought to an end the tenure of the Davis Cup by the United States and it opens up a brilliant opportunity for Australia. A strong singles player can do much to retain the cup for his country by bis own efforts. It was so with Perry for England, and in Budge the United States also had such a player. Now no one remains to take his place. Australia, runner-up this year and last, has a very evenlybalanced team and success should come in 1939.

A Golf Machine. A machine which enables all the shots of a full round of golf to he played indoors has arrived in -Melbourne. The holes of any course desired may be played, and as each, shot is made from a coir mat, the direction and distance the ball goes is registered. High shots, low shots, tinkered shots, and the rest, are shown. When two play a game, the positions of the 1 two balls after the shots are shown at the players’ elbows by spotlights. A room 16ft by 12ft by

10ft high provides sufficient space for the game.

The new racing clinker four built for the Waitemata Boating Club by J. H. Jerrom, of Melbourne, arrived last week. It gives the appearance of l a very fine craft, and oarsmen are favourably impressed with its lines.

When Maurice Strickland, the New Zealand heavy-weight boxer, returned to England from America last month, he was asked his opinion regarding .Joe Louis. “He is the greatest heavy-weight I have watched,’’ replied Strickland. “Ho has a. perfect straight left, a shattering left hook, and a wicked right-hand punch.” Air W. Daly, Strickland's manager, said he considered Louis to be the equal of Jack Dempsey, but he thought it doubtful if the present world champion would continue fighting.

In winning the New South ’Wales marathon last month, B. Dovlo accomplished the best time ever recorded by an Australian runner, his 2h 42m 27s beating Rowley Bateman’s record of 10 years ago by 3m 425. J. Coleman, South Africa, winner of the Empire marathon, holds the Australian record with 2h 30m 49 8-10 s. Doyle’s time over the same course was beaten in the Empire event only by J. Coleman, South Africa. A. J. Norris, England, and H. A. Gibson, South Africa.