ATHLETICS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27472, 5 October 1954, Page 3

ATHLETICS

TRACK DELEGATES’ ANNUAL MEETING Inter-club athletics will open on October 16 at Rugby Park with a post-entry graded scratch meeting. This was decided at the annual meeting of track delegates of the Canterbury Centre, New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, last evening. Each club is expected to provide three representatives at a working bee next Sunday, when it is hoped to bring the grounds up to the required standards for the opening day. A series of working bees throughout the season was needed, said Mrs D. Jameson. Her club, Toe H, was prepared to install cinder approaches around the jumping areas if the centre would provide the materials. Registration fees for the coming season were fixed at:—seniors, £1 2s 6d; women, 17s 6d; juniors, 12s 6d; schoolboys, ss, and schoolgirls, 3s 6d. Of the remaining 24 remits held over from the previous meeting, 15 were approved and nine were withdrawn or lost. More Teams’ Competition Approval was given to a remit urging more competition on a teams basis. Sponsoring the remit for University, Mr F. S. Jarvis said it would stimulate better competition. Often runners were not giving their best, as they kneW they had little hope of finishing in a place. If competition were on a teams basis each athlete would then do his best, as his placing would count for points for his team. A recommendation is to be made to the South Canterbury sub-centre that it redraft the rules for the Pat Boot Memorial Shield to provide for a two or three miles teams race. (University.) Several speakers felt that the present rules catered too much for the sprints and field events, with only the mile for distance runners. As a result of suggestions from the Technical Club, improvements will be made in the shot put, discus and hammer throwing facilities. “We are not in the position of America, where our second grade athletes may be ignored.” said Mr M. Craighead, speaking against a motion that all inter-club competition be on a graded scratch basis. “Our strength is based on our humble club member whose only chance of a win is in a handicap race,” said Mr Craighead. “With graded scratch we should have the same individuals winning nearly every week.” A move -to include a mile race for women on the centre’s programmes was defeated. Consideration will be given to the holding of frequent evening meetings in addition to the weekly Saturday intetclub competitions. Although all clubs had been advised of events being held on the Friday night at the last Canterbury championships, some competitors had not been notified by their clubs. In future the starting times of events at all Canterbury championships will be advertised in the newspapers.