ATHLETICS TRIANGULAR CONTEST

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 6

ATHLETICS TRIANGULAR CONTEST

CANTERBURY, OTAGO, SOUTHLAND A team of about 30 will be chosen to represent Canterbury in the annual triangular athletic contest with Otago and Southland at Dunedin on December 8. Each athlete will be subsidised for travelling expenses in excess of £2. This was decided by the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last week. The team will be chosen from nominations submitted by club secretaries. Nominations will close next Saturday. Otago advised that the programme would be the same as for a championship meeting with the deletion of the six-mile and the relays, and the addition of a s<JfiO-mphe race for juniors and 10,000 metres for seniors, road walks, and four by 100 yards relays. Inter-club Points “If we were to abolish ihter-club points we might overcome this difficulty,” said Mr J. E. Millar, when the question of athletes obviously competing in grades or events for which they were not qualified was raised. “I don’t know if clubs are entering people in events just to get points, but it certainly appears so.” said Mr Millar. “If that is the case, I feel that we would be better oil’ without them.”

Canterbury athletics had been built up on the inter-club points system, said Mr J. C. Ilarbut, and he thought it would be a retrograde step to abolish it. “It is just ridiculous that a girl should throw the javelin 40ft and get points.” said Mr K. S. Jameson. Other speakers said athletes were taking part in events without the ability or the knowledge required for them, while others were competing in grades below their ability.

It was decided that, club secretaries should be instructed to give some indication of the grading of the athletes, and that they should only nominate them for events at which they were reasonably proficient.