“THE PRESS” AWARD FOR TENNIS PLAYER

Press, Volume C, Issue 29508, 9 May 1961, Page 7

“THE PRESS” AWARD FOR TENNIS PLAYER

A. Brooks, the young Christchurch lawn tennis player who will compete in the New South Wales age and school championships, was presented at a luncheon at Wilding Park yesterday with “The Press” award of the tickets for his trip.

A pupil at the Christchurch Boys High School, Brooks is the Canterbury under 17 singles and doubles champion and the secondary schools’ junior singles and doubles champion. He will leave Christchurch by air on Friday, and return on May 27. The first of the two tournaments will begin in Sydney on Monday. Speaking at the luncheon, the president of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association (Mr -A. M. Hatch) said the occasion was unusual. The association had worked hard for many years to improve the standard in the province and to increase the number of quality -players. This time the move came not from the association, but from the Christchurch Press Company, Ltd., to which the association was deeply indebted. Before presenting Brooks with the tickets, the editor of

"The Press” (Mr A. R.. Cant) said it was something of a departure in New Zealand journalism for the newspapers to support sports in this way, but it was a common practice overseas. “I think we are lucky in New' Zealand that the newspapers take a responsible attitude to sport."

Mr Cant said he w'as pleased that the directors of “The Press” had shown their interest in sports that deserved help and needed help.

Speaking to Brooks, he said that tennis was a grand game. “We should play it to enjoy it, and to do that we should play it well. lam sure you will learn a lot and come back to help further in the renaissance of Canterbury tennis.” In his reply, Brooks thanked those who had made his trip possible and those who had made him gifts for the trip. Other speakers were Mr G. E. R. Atkinson, chairman of the association’s management committee, and Mr J. K. Burtt, a member of the committee and a former president of the association. Those present at the luncheon included members of the management committee, members of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association, and Brooks’s parents, Mr W. G. Brooks and Mrs Brooks. In the last four weeks since the end of competitive play for the season Brooks has been practising with several senior players, including the Canterbury champion. G. Moss, B. J. Aldridge and R. Neumann. As well, he has been using the stroke machine at Wilding Park with the help of Colonel K. J. Walker, who was present at the luncheon and whose interest in Canterbury’s young players w'as praised by speakers.