"PIONEERING TEAM."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 10

"PIONEERING TEAM."

Excessive Travel Complaint — Reply from Waikato. (By Telegraph. —Own Corresoondent.) MORRINSVILLE, this day. Strong comment was made to-day by Mr. A. G. Yardley, president of the Piako Hockey Association, in replying to the remarks made yesterday by Mr. G. Gupta, who represents the India Hockey Association with the All India hockey team, concerning the alleged strenuous travelling by the team.

Mr. Yardley said the itinerary was in the main submitted to India before the team set out for New Zealand. After the tour of the Indian Army team in l!)2fi, the present team must have known that as far as actual hockey was concerned it was on a pioneering tour of New Zealand. In fact. Mr. Yardley's opinion was that the Indian team generally hud appreciated this.

Mr. Cupta had referred to matches with Waikato at Hamilton, with Piako at Morrinsville, and with Waipa at Te Awnniulu. as an instance of how the Indian tcaiil could have been saved travelling by being allowed to make their headquarters at Hamilton. Mr. Yardley said it was quite evident that Mr. l.upta did not appreciate the spirit of the tour. The presence of the All India team at the headquarters of the three hockey associations mentioned was one of the draws, second only to the brilliance of the team. In these three places record gates had been attracted. Mr. Yardley added: "In so far as Mr. Gupta is concerned, he might just as well have stayed in Hamilton or Auckland. He was almost unapproachable, and would go nowhere when invited. On the other hand, the Piako Association found Mr. Doctor willing to advise lis regarding the actual wants of his team, and he was a most courteous official. Mr. Gupta seemed to be the only one of the whole party who objected to travelling, and those objections were not in the knowledge of the public until published in last night's 'Star.'"

The Indian team stayed at Morrinsville for three days prior to the game with Piako, played Waipa at Te Awamutu the next'day, and at Auckland two days later.