CANTERBURY AMATEUR ATHLETES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16961, 9 October 1920, Page 9

CANTERBURY AMATEUR ATHLETES.

TO OTS EDITOR OK "lllE TRESS. r ' • Sir, —No doubt few pooplo who attended the Canterbury Athletic Championships at tho re-opening of Lancaster Park at the beginning of tho year, are aware of tho treatment the runners' received. I have been an amatour for a good . number of years, and was probably, placed in as many events as any other runner in Canterbury for my ago. All I can show to-day is a bunch of about twenty medals, valued at something like 20s the lot. These were dished out in the usual rough amateur style, without name, date, or ovent. This is a more trifle to tho way the last championship winners were treated. After waiting about nino months, some of tho runners thought they had been forgotten, and on making enquiries, were disgusted to find certificates, without trophies or medals, waiting at an official's office, for them to make a call, just as though they were after a newspapor. Probably somo of them would go further for a newspaper than for such a thing, which the Centra say will lorfk very nice after a framo is tacked round it. Surely, it is a big knock to the Centre when the St. Patrick's Association can go ouisor ( . the first time and pay big prize money. in every event, besides jiving distant ' competitors a week's hoard, owing to tho postponement, and then come off somewhere round about £100 to tho good. 1 At the championships there wero certainly a fewrhfandred less spectators, but no trophies were bought, no board paid I to competitors, and yet tho Centre cry I poverty. Tho value of each event was given on the St. Patrick's programmo, but the amateurs wero not the stuff to advertise their championships for a certificate, as they knew very well that men would not train for months for such a ridiculous thing. If this is the way they are gomg to shape, the next St. Patrick s Meeting willsoG on© or two of our .best men making their fast appearance aa profes-

..fiionals. My advice to the heads is not ' to give too many tickets, ! and a little moro consideration to the ? rannors; also, if they are > stuck tor f fund a again, next year, I can give them i u sufficient quantity of standard ama- ' medals to inscribe names, and present to the -winners, not have the winners call. —Yours, etc.. __ . PROPER AMATEUR.