PAYMENTS TO AMATEURS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25207, 11 June 1947, Page 7

PAYMENTS TO AMATEURS

COMPENSATION FOR “BROKEN TIME”

ARGUMENT IN ATHLETIC FEDERATION , (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 9. The chief American delegate, Mr Avery Brundage, threw a bombshell into the Congress of the International Amateur Athletic Federation. Attended by delegates from 23 countries, the congress is being held primarily to consider the question of ‘‘broken time” for athletes. Mr Brundage withdrew his name after the president (Lord Burghley) had proposed him as vice-president. Mr Brundage said that he and the other American delegates were present under protest, as the meeting was irregular. It had been called to discuss payments to athletes. That was not consistent with amateurism. The matter might shake the federation’s foundations. , It had been discussed at Oslo in 1946. when only one-third of the membership was represented, and it had there been decided by a two-to-one majority to discuss it at the 1948 meeting. Some of the losers had then taken advantage of the rules, which allowed a certain number of nations to call an earlier conference. That had been done, and delegates had now been dragged, in some cases, thousands of miles to attend the present meeting. The conveners of the meeting were nations who were not in good standing. He challenged the proceedings which, he said, might be illegal. Lord Burghley said that the rules clearly allowed a meeting such as the present one to be called. He had no alternative except to permit the congress to continue. . Sweden proposed, and Belgium, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Czechoslovakia supported, the following resolution: — ‘‘An amateur shall not directly or indirectly accept payment for any loss of time, salary, or wages in attending or training for any athletic competition. Howevpr, it will be permitted for an athlete who is the sole support of his family (that is, his wife, children, mother, or father) to be reimbursed by his national association or federation through his employer for loss of time, salary, or wages not exceeding £1 or the equivalent a day during his absence (after one day) when competing m the Olympic Games, European, Far Eastern, Latin American, or such other Continental championships and official international matters of the federation. All such cases are to be considered as exceptional, and to be reported in writing to the federation’s council.” xxv. In spite of another protest by Mr Brundage that South American, Central American, and other countries were not represented, the congress accepted the proposal for discussion. The Swedish delegate (Mr T. Ericson), who was the principal spokesman for the proposal, said that Sweden was definitely against any athlete being paid, but there were many who, for economic reasons, could not make the necessary sacrifice to take part in athletics. The reimbursement of such was fair, and would give everybody an opportunity to take part in athletics. . x< .. The delegates after further discussion carried Mr Brundage’s amendment referring the matter to the 1948 congress. . , The congress referred Russia s application for membership to the council for investigation, with power to act. Lord Burghley said they must be reasonable. There was no doubt that many Russian athletes did not realise the proper meaning of amateurism and had unknowingly become professionals. It was considered fair that they should be able to enter the Olympic Games with a clean sheet.