HOCKEY UMPIRES AT OLYMPICS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 19

HOCKEY UMPIRES AT OLYMPICS

CONTROL OF GAMES “TOO LENIENT” “Some of the umpires at the Olympic Games were too lenient of rough and illegal play as they did not wish to precipitate an international incident. Some of our players were pushed and tripped and yet did not receive penalties,” said Mr W. H. Down, delegate to the New Zealand Hockey Association at the Olym-. pic Games, reporting to a meeting of the management committee of the association last evening. “When I asked one of the umpires on one occasion why he had not awarded a penalty, he agreed that the side had broken a rule, but he did not want to cause any trouble,” said Mr Down. Mr C. C. Holland, who also attended the Games, said he agreed with Mr Down, but the matter of umpiring depended upon whether New Zealand was not too .strict in its observance of the rules. Pacific Tournament At the International Hockey Conference held at Melbourne University during the Olympic Games, the president (Mr L. J. Quarles van Ufford) had said that Japan might be given permission to control a tournament in 1958 which would be limited to Asiatic countries and possibly Pacific countries. “This would bring in New Zealand,” said Mr Down. “After the conference I was the guest of the secretary of the Indian Hockey Federation (Mr B. L. Gupta), and we discussed the prospects of future visits between India and New Zealand. Mr Gupta said India would be extending a definite invitation for New Zealahd’s representative side to tour India during November and December, 1957,” said Mr Down.