COWLES STADIUM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29626, 23 September 1961, Page 13

COWLES STADIUM

Opening Ceremony On Monday

The Canterbury Amateur Sports Federation has arranged a varied programme of demonstrations by seven sporting bodies for the opening of the W. J. Cowles Stadium on .Monday night. About 900 seats have been allocated to members of the 14 association* affiliated to the federation and to eight other spurting organisations. The ceremony will not be open to the pdblie. After the stadium has been officially opened by the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) the evening’s activities will begin With a display of the work done through the winter months by the calisthenics group of the Canterbury Swimming Centre. Two wrestling bouts of three three-minute rounds will be staged by the Canterbury District Amateur Wrestling Committee, and B. Kendall and G. Bennett Will give an exhibition boxing bout. The Crichton Cobbers’ Judo Club will give demonstration* of it* members’ Skill as too will the Canterbury Amateur Fencing Council. A men’s indoor basketball match hat been arranged, and six members of the Canterbury Amateur Weight-lifting Association are to give exhibition lifts.

Other speakers at the function will be the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. H. P. Smith), Cr. P. J. Skellerup, Mr J. Mathison, MJ*., the president of the Canterbury Amateur Sports Federation (Mr H. C. Blazey) and the chairman of the Christchurch Drainage Board (Mr F. R. Price). The stadium, built by the City Council, has been named after Mr W. J. Cowles, the former chairman of it* reserves committee, who died before the stadium was completed. Mr Cowles was the driving force behind the development of Cuthbert’* Green, th* land on which the stadium has been built. It was formerly the property of the Drainage Board.