OLYMPIC GAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 270, 14 November 1928, Page 9

OLYMPIC GAMES.

ARE THEY WORTH WHILE?

RADICAL CHANGES NEEDED. N.Z. MANAGER'S IMPRESSIONS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. Are the Olympic Games worth while? Mr. H. Amos, manager of the New Zealand Olympic team, thinks they are, but says that if they are to retain their value there must be a drastic alteration in their conduct and spirit.

The problem, said Mr. Amos, in an address to the Rotary Club, resolved itself into the old question of amateur v. professional. It seemed to "Mm that the Games tended to revert to pur© professionalism. The reports of the Games as published suggested the merging of fifty athletes from different countries all animated by the spirit of the originator of the revival of the Games, and at first sight it might seem as though the competitors were carrying out the spirit of the original Olympic Games, but he did not think they were. Those who were behind the scenes, or connected with the Games intimately, held a contrary opinion, as expressed in the American Press. It was true that the Games had the approval of leading British sportsmen, who considered them well worth while, and hoped that their spirit would be brought closely into the daily lives and thought of the nations taking part in them. Yet, when he had met the representatives from some of the other countries, and had seen how they had conducted themselves, it was evident that the way the Games were being conducted was not going to bring the hopedfor ideals into the daily lives of the nations. Personally, he was in favour of the International Olympic Games with i certain reservations. I

It wag a case of history repeating itself. He traced the gradual growth of the original Olympic Games from thei single event, for which the prize was a wreath of olives, to the dozen or more events in the day, with chariot races tol bring the wealthy and give what is to-j day called a "gate." To-day they werej doing just the same thing. Twelve dif-j forent departments of sport were repr»-t

sented daily at Amsterdam, and previous to that there were winter sports, and hockey, lacrosse, and polo, many of them not international games at all. In nearly all the games the prizemoney element was coming in too much, just the same state of affairs which had disgusted Socrates. The spirit of the revival was being lost sight of. Some of the nations had gone to enormous expense in selecting, training, and bringing their men to the Games, and in one case the men were kept on a special ship all the time. Some of the nations had 5 pent £100,000 in these directions. Money figured altogether too much in the whole thing. To crown all, there was the international Olympic Committee, an autocratic body With full powers, not answerable to the representatives of the various countries. "Unless that committee is bold enough to take hold of this situation and solve the problem I it will not be long before the Games come to an end," said Mr. Amos.