"JACK-IN-THE-BOX."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 183, 5 August 1935, Page 14

"JACK-IN-THE-BOX."

MR. GUPTA TAKEN TO TASK

COMMENT BY N.Z. OFFICIAL.

"Mr Gupta is the best somersault artist it has every been my privilege to see or come in contact with. He is a most excitable and temperamental type, and altogether a jack-in-the-box of the first order." In these-words Mr. A. i. Preston, a member of the management committee of the New Zealand Hookey ■\ssociation, who travelled with the Indian hockey team during its last four weeks in the Dominion, described his feelings towards the comment made by Mr Gupta in Sydney in criticism of the conduct by the New Zealand Association of the recent tour of the Indian team (states the "Star-Sun"). Mr. Gupta was making statements one day, contradicting them the next, apologising moet profusely, and then carrying on in his "well-known but not altogether approved etyle," said Mr. Preston. He is not manager of the team, being merely one of a party of TJ Strangely enough, it was only this one-twentieth of the party which left New Zealand dissatisfied on any particular point. The remainder enjoyed their etay immensely and were loud in their praise of the hospitality extended them from all quarters, and of the arrangements made for their comfort and well-being by the New Zealand Hockey Association. "Frankly," said Mr. Preston, "they were an extremely sad party when the last page of their four-page itinerary was commenced, and openly and sincerely said so. u words wot used." MR. GUPTA'S DENIAL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. A. denial of the statement allegedly made by Mr. P. Gupta, an official with the Indian hockey team in Sydney, concerning the "disgusting conditions' of the Indian hockey team's tour of NewZealand has been received by the New Zealand Hockey Association. The president, Mr. W. H. Down, cabled to Mr. Behram Doctor, manager of the team, requesting an official explanation of Mr. Gupta's statement, and the following cabled reply was received this morning:— "Gupta himself surprised at newspaper report. He emphatically denies using such words. He is issuing a contradiction through newspapers and I am mailing you a copy "