Sportsman’s Notebook SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR FOR NEW SQUASH CLUB

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28870, 15 April 1959, Page 4

Sportsman’s Notebook SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR FOR NEW SQUASH CLUB

A most successful inaugural year for the Christchurch Squash Rackets Club is shown by the club’s first annual report, which will be presented to the annual meeting this month. Membership of the club stands at 93, made up of 66 full members, 26 nonplaying members and one schoolboy members. There are still some vacancies for playing members, says the report. The report notes a successful playing year, with the club organising the Canterbury championships, and also promoting the successful visit to Christchurch of the Australian team. Two teams were entered in the inter-club competitions and a team from the club also took part in the national club competition.

The club was initially formed with the immediate object of building courts, but found the tenders for the construction to be Well in excess of the estimates received earlier. For this reason the building was not proceeded with last year, but the club was fortunate to obtain a lease of courts, which has allowed time for consolidation.

The report states that the committee feels the club should be in a stronger financial position before proceeding with the building, which is estimated to cost between £6OOO and £7OOO A minimum of £2OOO is considered necessary as the club’s own contribution, apart from borrowed money The committee intends to execute fund-raising projects as soon as possible. :S # Wellington Cricket Coach The Wellington Cricket Association has authorised its chairman (Mr R. A. Vance) to seek a cricket coach for Wellington while he is in England on a business trip. It is to be left to Mr Vance to decide if he will approach a player coach or a man to act purely as a coach. Old Wrestlers

Attempts to form a legion of old wrestlers are being made by Mr J. McLean, a well-known Auckland wrestling referee. Since he advertised his plan recently he has received replies from many former wrestlers living in the

North Island. The objects of the legion are purely social. If the future response is encouraging, a reunion will be held. ❖ * $ Tennis Courts Because of the wear on the 1 grass courts at Wilding Park, the > Wilding Park committee has; recommended to the management j committee of the Canterbury! Lawn Tennis Association that three courts be spelled for the coming season. This would enable the other courts to be moved and reblocked, and would prevent excessive wear on the base lines. The association hopes to obtain the use of the United Club’s courts while this scheme is in operation, and will pay ground and court hire fees to United. sfc # # Black Belt Holder R. Lonergan, aged 20, a dental student, has become the youngest black belt holder in the Dominion. He was recently promoted from brown belt in the grading contest held in conjunction with the national judo championships in Wellington. The black belt grading contest is the most gruelling on the national programme. In this vear’s contest only one of the nine first brown belt holders succeeded in gaining his black belt. « « # Indoor Bowls : Although the South Island inj door bowling championships will I not be held until the Queen’s Birthday week-end in June, hundreds of entries have already been received from all provinces, from Southland to Marlborough. The Timaru association, which will be the host, has already had to make arrangements for more space for the event, as it appears that this year’s entry will be the biggest yet.