EMPIRE GAMES PRESIDENT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 15

EMPIRE GAMES PRESIDENT

SIR JAMES LEIGH-WOOD WELCOMED PIONEER CLUB HOLDS LUNCHEON Mr R. C. Symes, president of the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club, welcomed leading city sporting officials to a luncheon given by his club at the Frascati on Saturday in honour of Sir James Leigh-Wood, president of the British Empire Games Federation. Sir James had rearranged his itinerary for the South Island so that he could be present at the Canterbury championships on Saturday afternoon. , Mr Symes, in his welcome to the visitor, explained the function of the Pioneer Club, which served to bring amateur sportsmen together under the one roof. Mr J. J. Brownlee, president of the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and Mr J. K. Moloney, for kindred clubs, also welcomed Sir James Sir James, in a short address, commended the idea behind the Pioneer Sports Club. It was just such an organisation that was most desirable in sport, he said, for it brought sportsmen together in the most suitable way. He spoke of the value of sport in the promotion of good fellowship, an(l of the part it played in the unity of the British Empire. Praising the effort of C. H. Matthews, of Canterbury, at the Empire Games at Sydney, he said: “The three miles was one race we really thought we had in our pocket. Peter Ward, our man, is one of the greatest distance runners in the world. At Sydney he ran his usual race, following_at the shoulder of the other man all the way to the entrance to the straight. There he tried to F«ss your man, C. H. Matthews, according to his custom in other races, but to our horror he could not get round. Matthews when he came round the bend and into the straight must surely have beaten 11 seconds for the 100 yards. He is a world-beater, without a doubt.” Sir James added that when he sympathised with Ward afterwards, the English athlete said. “Why be so sorry. I was beaten by a much better man, and beaten fair and square.” "That,” said Sir James, “is the spirit there must be in amateur sport.” The sportsmen present accorded a vote of thanks to Sir James, on the motion of Mr C. H. Taylor, jun. SPORTSMEN WHO COMPLAIN GAMES PRESIDENT DISAPPROVES “DON’T BLATHER HOT AIR” Asking athletes and officials not to “blather hot air,” Sir James LeighWood. president of the British Empire Games Federation, at a luncheon on Saturday, appealed for more discretion on the part of sportsmen who harboured grievances. He said he regretted very much to see athletes going to the press with complaints. “Do for God’s sake,” he said, “dismiss all this hot-air stuff you see in the press. Arc the press here? Well, please do drop all that hack-chat. I wish the papers would.

“When there are so many men gathered together as there were at the Empire Gtmes there are bound to be some little differences. Officials or athletes should go to the men concerned and straighten out the troubles in the proper way. They should not blather them out to the press. “During the games you didn’t see a word from Mr Even Hunter (team manager for the British athletes) nor from me, except for a letter to the press thanking the Sydney people. That’s what everyone should do, but only yesterday some indiscreet athlete got home and tossed off a lot of hotair stuff.” Mr C. H. Taylor, jun., of the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club, speaking later, said that athletes on the track were very highly strung men, and the smallest thing would put them out If an athlete said anything he should not it could be guaranteed he would be always very sorry for it afterwards.