WORLD AMATEUR TITLES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27224, 16 December 1953, Page 14

WORLD AMATEUR TITLES

WRESTLING

NEW ZEALAND TO BE REPRESENTED COMPETITORS INVITED TO TOKYO (New Zealand. Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 15. New Zealand is arranging to be represented at the world amateur free-style wrestling championships in Tokyo in May, 1954, according to a statement issued today by the president of the Dominion Wrestling Union (Mr J. W. Steel). Yesterday’s meeting of the executive of the union approved recommendations put forward by the New Zealand amateur committee. Mr Steel said this would be New Zealand’s first entry into international wrestling of world class. Every fourth year, the Olympic Games were held by the International Olympic Council, but in each of the three intervening years the governing body of amateur wrestling, the International Amateur Wrestling Federation, staged the world championships, both for Graeco-Roman style and for free-

style. These championships had formerly been held always in Europe, in the off-season for New Zealand, and participation by the Dominion had been impossible, said Mr Steel. This year, the championships had been allocated to Tokyo, and the New Zealand amateur committee considered this a great chance to send as strong a New Zealand team as possible, mainly for experience. The Japanese Amateur Wrestling Federation had invited New Zealand to send eight wrestlers and three officials, which would be guests of the Japanese for their 10-day stay in Tokyo, he said. The Dominion union had approved, on the recommendation of the New Zealand amateur committee, the nomination of six New Zealand wrestlers, provided the necessary funds were raised. Amateur committees in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin would raise the funds to send four of the following six wrestlers:—light-heavy-weight, A. Holland (Otago): welterweight, G. Hobson (Canterbury); featherweight, J. Armitt (Auckland); bantamweight, K. Ruby (Wellington). In addition, the following would be nominated, provided the individual or his club or centre raised £250 towards the cost: heavy-weight, J. Silva (Auckland); middle-weight, J. Monaghan (Southland). Mr Steel said three officials would be sent with the team, but they would pay their own fares. A manager would be sent, and he would be New Zealand’s delegate to the international federation. He would also have a special mission on behalf of New Zealand to form a Pacific section of the federation, with proposals for regular tours of the Western Pacific area. Under the New Zealand proposal, each country in the section would send a team to tour the other countries every third year, and would receive teams from at least two countries every year, said Mr Steel. The suggested members of the Pacfic section were: New Zealand. Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaya, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and any others that might join. New Zealand would also nominate one of its judges to be a member of the judicial panel at Tokyo, and a coachtrainer would also probably be sent, Mr Steel said. These appointments would be made later.