EMPIRE GAMES TEAM

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 12

EMPIRE GAMES TEAM

RETURN TO N.Z. ON MONDAY ARRIVAL AT WHENUAPAI IN AFTERNOON (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 11. The New Zealand Empire Games team will leave Vancouver at 10.30 p.m. on Friday on its return trip. The aircraft is expected to arrive at Whenuapai at 1.30 p.m. on Monday. The team will be met by the Mayor of Auckland (Mr J. H. Luxford), the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie), the Minister in charge of Police (Mr W. H. Fortune) and the chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association (Mr H. I. Austad). After a short welcoming home ceremony the athletes will disband. Most of the southern contingent will travel by rail to Wellington on Monday night. The only two members of the New Zealand party who will not arrive will be Miss J. Laws, a swimmer, and Mr J. C. Kirkland, the manager of the swimmers. ’As far as is known, only three members of the team will leave Auckland by aircraft. They are E. H. Ravenwood, a bowler, and Dr. R. E. Austin, manager of the bowlers, and Miss Yvette Williams. They will fly south on Tuesday. Miss Williams arranged to fly to Dunedin before leaving for Vancouver.

EMPIRE GAMES FOR CHRISTCHURCH . SUGGESTION ENDORSED BY MAYOR (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 11. “I think Christchurch has a very good claim to be the centre for the next British Empire Games to be held in New Zealand,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) this evening, when he commented on the announcement that New Zealand had a good chance of being the host country for the Games in 1962 or 1966. Mr Macfarlane said he hoped that Christchurch sporting bodies would advance Canterbury’s claims for the Games to be held there, and he could assure them of his support. With its parks and Olympic swimming pool, Christchurch was a good site for the Games, said Mr Macfarlane. It was disappointing that Christchurch had not been chosen as the site for the Games in 1950, but the ’Centennial Games held there had shown that a large athletic meeting with overseas competitors could be held successfully.