Athletics 1970 EMPIRE GAMES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 15

Athletics 1970 EMPIRE GAMES

Canterbury Centre To Apply

A move to have the 1970 British Empire Games in Christchurch was made by the executive committee of the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening. The centre will make a detailed application to the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association to have the games held in Christchurch if they are allocated to New Zealand in 1970. The centre also endorsed the Auckland centre's recent application to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to have the games held In New Zealand. The City Council was very keen to see the games held in Christchurch and offered every support. said the centre’s delegate to the Canterbury Amateur Sports Federation (Mr R. A. Linton) after recent discussions with the Mayor (Mr G. Manning). Mr Linton said the council intended to make Cuthbert’s Green a major sporting venue and that English Park could be developed as an international cycling track. Improvements have already been made to the Centennial Pool and to Kerr's Reach. In January. 1960, the council approached the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association urging that efforts be made to hold the Empire Games in New Zealand at the earliest date possible, but the IM2 games had already been allocated to Perth. "To obtain the Empire Games in Christchurch is the main object of the Canterbury Amateur Sports Federation,” said Mr Linton.