ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26651, 9 February 1952, Page 4

ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

(By

MILES)

Teen-agers in _Golf One of the problems discussed at a meeting of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association on Tuesday was the lack of interest taken in the sport by teen-agers. After a somewhat prolonged discussion, in which varied reasons for the absence of young players were given, one member of the association appeared to have the solution of the problem when he saio that the membership was full in most ciubs, which had waiting lists. “In Christchurch we have more reserves and parks than any place in New Zealand, but there are no Kiddies on them. , I do not care what games are played so long as something is played," said Mr A. R. Blank. "You' come to Edmonds Park and you will see some kiddies,” said another member. “I went there the other day and gave a lolly scramble,” he said. “What kind of lollies? r ’ asked another member. "Hundreds and thousands” was the reply. Still another member said the reason was that there was much more organised sport to-day than in former years. The consensus seemed to be that Timaru was the only club looking after young golfers. At ona time it was our boast that "every New Zealand boy is born with a Rugby football in his arms.” To-day some enthusiasts think the football should be replaced by a golf club. Jottings The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust has made the former Australian and Victorian captain, W. ■M. Woodlull, an honorary member of the ground. Such membership is subject to review by the, trust each year, but it is tantamount to honorary Hie membership. Wcodfull had the honour conferred on him for “outstanding services to cricket.” , Tne South Australian cricketer, Gill Langley, equalled the world record for the number ot dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a test series. When he caught Weekes in the filth lest, he had he.ped to dismiss 21 West Indies batsmen in the five tests of the series. H. Strudwick also caught or stumped 21 batsmen in five tests, against South Africa in 1913-14. Langley was playing in his first test rubber.

The Fijian Rugby player, M. Tuvoll, has recovered sufficiently from the injury he received in the match against New Zealand Maoris last year to be able to return' home in the near future. It was stated at the last meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union executive that Tuvoli's injury would cost the union more than £3OO.

The suspension of the world heavyweight boxing champion, Jersey Joe Walcott, was lifted when he paid the fine of 200 dollars imposed by the Indiana State Athletic Commission. Walcott was suspended because of his failure to pay a fine imposed for not keeping an exhibition fight engagement at Evansville, Indiana, last August.

Australia’s 17-year-old swimming wonder, Barry Darke, this week broke the open record for 880 yards freestyle by nearly five seconds. His time was lOmin 7.3 sec, compared with the previous record of lOmin 122 sec set by the Hawaiian, K. Nakama, in 1939.

Kid Gavilan retained his world welterweight boxing title in Miami when Jie outpointed Bobby Dykes, an unranked contender, over 15 rounds. The fight Was recognised in the United- States as for the world welter-weight championship. Nancy Lyons, Olympic breaststroke swimmer, broke her own Australian record for 200 metres in the Queensland championship. Practically unpaced, she was timed at 2min 57.75ec, to cut 1.75e6 off the record she set during the New South Wales title swim last month. The Poverty B?y, North Island, and All Black five-eighths, B. J. Fitzpatrick, a bank clerk, has been transferred from Gisborne to rtlieve at Dargaville. After two weeks he will be transferred to Wellington. Primo Camera as Wrestler Professional wrestling made its return to Madison Square Gardens last month after an absence of more than a year. A crowd of 9000 paid 28,900 dollars to see seven exhibitions, including one between Primo Camera, former world heavyweight boxing champion, and Antonio Rocco, of Buenos Aires. This match ended in a draw after 21 minutes’ wrestling. Camera weighed 2821 b and Rocco 2241 b. Excepting for a bizarre finish to one of the supporting bouts, the crowd saw nothing it had not seen before, said the “New York Times.” . Invitation to D. L- Woon The New Zealand amateur golf champion, D. L. Woon, and the champions from each State in the Commonwealth of Australia have been included in a list of 80 amateurs invited to play in the MoWilliams’s Wines £2500 tournament, which will be played at the Australian Club's Kensington course on March 27, 28, and 29. The New South Wales Golf Association, which prepared the list of amateurs to be,invited, based its recommendations on the performances of players last season. Sir Donald Bradman is one of four players invited from South Australia. Cycling Championships It is many years since amateur cycling was on such a high plane in Canterbury as this year. J. Ritchie has regatoed all his old form and has established two New Zealand records, the two mile and the flying mile, which was done in imin 52sec. His 1000 metres recently in Imin ,15sec was only Isec outside the qualifying time for the Olympic Games, and this was done on a very cold, windy night. P. Wylie has also established two New Zealand records and has taken more than a minute off the New Zealand five-mile record. Robin Clark has also established a New Zealand record. L. Lock, with the benefit of recent experience on Australian tracks, marked his return to English Park last Wednesday by covering three miles in 6mln 19 3-ssec, a record for New Zealand. More records should be broken when the Canterbuiy amateur cycling championships are held at English Park to-night. Amateurs or Professionals "We are getting tired of this professional racket. What we want are visits by leading American amateurs who would gay their own expenses,” said Mr A. R. lank at a meeting of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association. Mr Blank m.ght find, however, that amateur golfers, if they follow the principles of other amateurs in sport, might prove jus* as expensive as the professional, who is controlled by a business contract. When Fanny Blankers-Koen. Olympic Games champion, visited Australia two years ago, she came as an amateur. She received no money, but, it is said, it cost Australia £lOOO to bring her trainer—her husband —with her. Expenses under tne heading of "laundry, etc.” has been a big item with some visiting amateurs, and possibly "60 per cent, of the net takings to the visiting professional 4 ’ might prove a belter investment than the problematical costTof "leading American amateurs.” It should be remembered that members of the American Davis Cup team (amateurs) were paid £6 a dav In Australia. It is hardly to be expected that American amateur golfers will be less exacting in their demands than the tennis players. Movie-Star Golfer Joe K rkwood, jun„ movie star and a leading American professional golfer, who had earlier seemed likely to play in tne 1952 McWilliams'Wine? £2500 tournament, has now informed the organisers he IS unable to make the trip to Australia. Kirkwood said he was very keen to plav, but his motion picture commitments ruled out the possibility. However, he hopes to make it next year The McWilliams Wines tournament sponsors, anxious to have a topline American golfer play in their competition, had previously aporoached Ben Hogan, Ed "Porky” Oliver and Jack Burke, without success. The British open champion. Max Faulkner, hopes to arrive in Sydney on March 12. Faulkner will break his journey at Bombay where he will play two exhibition ganTes. He is also booked for another match at Colombo. Poor Support For Games

A big sum of money was raised by Australian newspapers to give to Frank Sedgman’s fiancee on the eve of their wedding. Any suggestion, however, that there is unlimited money available to encourage sport is offset I* the sorry financial plight of the New South Wales Rugby Union and the difficulty in raising funds to send a strong team to the Olympic Games. “Many Australian athletes may be prematurely packing their bags for Helsinki,” says an Adelaide writer. “South Australians should be ashamed of their lack of support fof the Olympic Games fund.” Fewer than 100 people and firms had contributed a total of about £3OOO, which was £4OOO short of South Australia’s quota. More financial worries were caused by the tour of the West Indies cricket team, the estimated loss on which is £4500. Of this amount, Victoria, New South CVales and South Australian associations are called on to find £lO5O each, Queensland £7OO, and Western Australia and Tasmania £350 each. Omission of Barnes The omission of Sid Barnes from the Australian team for the third test is still the subject of much discussion and bickering in New South Wales .cricket circles Barnes was dropped for "reasons other than cricketing ability.” The latest party to the dispute is the Gordon Cricket Club, for which Barnes plays. Ak a special meeting of members, the club decided to ask the Board of Control to clarify Barnes's position. The secretary said: "Barnes’s rejection from the third Test side is a stigma on our club. We called a special meeting, and the matter was discussed for three hours. We finally decided to ask the Australian Board of Control two questions: Was Barnes the man otnitted from the third test team for reasons other than cricket? If so, what were the reasons?”

Athletic Champlanshlps > The Canterbury junior, and women’s t athletic championships will be held at t Rugby Park to-day. The Canterbury . senior championships will be decided next > Saturday, and the New Zealand chamE pionships on February 29. ■ Bodyline i "In Australian cricket circles concern ! was expressed over a degree of feeling ■ which had been engendered recently by i sustained cumper attacks by bowlers/’ writes Tom Goodman in the "Sydney , Morning Herald.’* The opinion was ex- : pressed that the "bumping** business at times seemed to have become a craze. : and had departed from the normal method of employing the fast, phort-pitched ball as an agency of variation or of surprise. Goodman continues: "But I mention three occasions in recent years when fast bowlers’ tactics went beyond reasonable limits. These Were: The unbridled attack by Lindwall and Miller against England’s star batsman Len Hutton, in Sydney in 1948-7; the •fiery, response by the same bowlers in the test at Manchester in 1948, after England’s fast-medium Bill Edrlch had had the temerity to deliver several short-pitched balls to Lindwall; Lindwall’s sustained 'bumper* attack against Everton Weekes in the fifth test. The ' barrage against Hutton left a bad taste, because Hutton's shortened arm hampered his hooking. It is no secret that at Manchester the display of heat almost led io intervention by England’s leading umpire, Chester. It was reported that Bradman apologised to Edrlch. The attack concentrated upon Weekes at the Cricket Ground left many onlookers ill at ease.” Turpin’s Opponent Laurent Dauthuljle, the Frenchman, who will meet Randolph Turpin soon for the European middle-weight boxing championship, although now 28 years of age, has only once previously met a British boxer in the ring. That was In 1948, when he went to London and beat Mark Hart on points over eight rounds. His best performance, probably, was that at Detroit, in September, 1980, when, In pursuit of the world title, he was dramatically knocked out in the final round by Jake la Motta. The European Boxing Union decreed that his fight with Turpin should take place before February 29, but Turpin says this is too near the contest with Alex Buxton, which he Is contracted to fight. Golf Professionals for Australia Two British golf professionals, Jimmy Adams and Hugh Watt, who were due to arrive in Sydney by the Mooltan on March wiU now leave the ship at Adelaide and make the last stage of their by ..“ lr - Th ® sponsors of the Mcwilllam s Wines £2500 golf tournament, who are responsible for these altered arrangements, consider that by arriving a w n, u earlle >: these two British golfers will have a better chance to become acclimatised, and familiarise themselves with playing Conditions at Kensington, competing in the tournament, which will commence on March 27. 10-Year-Old Champion History was made at Rlddilord Baths, fe ov ! er . H “tt, on Saturday, when the New Zealand junior l swimming championships ended, says the “Dominion.” The youngest competitor ever to win a national swimg>lng or diving title, 10-year-old R L. Hodge, Canterbury, claimed the boys’ springboard Championship by a ninepoint margin from a field of 10. The 10-year-old. weighing only 78)b, soared through his dives with such precision that he increased his three-point lead in the first section to the extent that the title was his before the last round. He has seven more years ss a junior. Answers to Correspondents ba , t , sman cannot be stumped while the ball Is lodged in the wicketkeeper s pads. The wickets must be broken with the ball in hand. An Australian Sculler • Kevin Webb, the Australian sculler, who was brought to New Zealand for the Hamilton regatta, is second only in Austraha to the Olympic sculler, Mervyn Wood. Webb will also compete r in the Auckland provincial championships at Lake Karaplro on February 9, the Wanganui regatta on February 18, and New Zealand championships at Wellington on February 23. Webb was beaten at the Centennial Games in Christchurch by R Douglas, of Mercer, who also won the ' New Zealand singles sculling champion- ■ ship a little later. Schroeder’s Retirement When Ted Schroeder announced his re- i tlrement from serious tennis a few weeks ago, the tennis world lost one of its most > gallant and hard-fighting players. It Is many years since there has been such a 1 fighter on a tennis court as Schroeder, and many of his victories were achieved 1 when the odds, were heavily against him. When he won’the Wimbledon title In 1949 he played six five-set matches during the ' tournament, and in almost every match . he won by sheer fighting ability. From 1948 he represented America in the Davis ' Cup. and he did not lose one singles match until in 1960 he was beaten by Ken McGregor and then by Frank Sedgman. Schroeder has shown that to win a big match it takes not only fluent strokes but a true fighting instinct. Although only 30 years of age, Schroeder is giving up big tennis mainly for business reasons, but he will play In a few state ' matches.