AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9301, 31 December 1895, Page 6

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

o PRESENTATION OF TROPHIES. Members of the visiting athletic teams and of the Canterbury Amateur Club mst in the Association's rooms, Hereford street, last night, when the trophies were presented to the winners at the New Zealand AthloMc Association of Saturday last. Mr F. Wilding, President of the Association, who occupied the chair, said it gave I him great pleasure to occupy the proud position as head of the athletic organisation, in perhaps the most memorable year of its existence. They were met together in an informal way to present the prizes won at the New Zealand Championship Meeting, for it appeared to him ihut tbe day had gone by when athletes considered it necessary to meet together to make a terrible noise, and perhaps at such gatherings a little unpleasantness might be occasioned. The Council thought it right to set the example of, presenting the prizes in this informal way, aud suggested to the Clubs that such an example might satisfactorily be followed in the future. It. would, he thought, be sufficient for him to say that the performances of the New Zealand Championship meeting were worthy of the competitors— many of whom had great reputations—and were worthy of the great colony, the chief centres of which those competitors represented. They were also worthy of the organication, and be thought that the visitors from Australia, and one or two from England, would bear him out that the management and conduct of the gathering was equally creditable to the colony, and could not be surpassed in England, America or Australia. (Loud applause.) He then presented the medals, accompanying each with an appropriate remark. He said of Low that it was a pleasure to see him run, and no one in New Zealand ran like him. Of Creamer, a fairer and better walker had never been seen on the ground, and it must have been a pleasure to tho judges to have watched such pace and fairness. Kingston's performance, considering those he had to meet, was a truly wonderful one. Aβ to Bennett, he said that, without detracting from the merits of the very great performances put up at the meeting, he could safely say that the honours had been carried off by Bennett. It was his opinion, which was backed up by good judges from the other side, that if Bennett continued on the running path he would become the greatest long distance runner in Australia. (Loud applause). CutFs victory in the long jump was as popular a one as any of the day. In presenting the banner to Mr Batchelor, for the Christcburch Club, he said that the Club's success was owing, no doubt, very largely to the fact that the competitions took place on Christchurch ground. The Club could hardly claim to have carried off any particular honours, bub by force of numbers it had achieved the distinction of being the Champion Club. (Applause). The proceedings then closed.