N.Z. Asks For 1970 Empire Games

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29989, 26 November 1962, Page 14

N.Z. Asks For 1970 Empire Games

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) PERTH, November 25. New Zealand has applied to hold the 1970 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. New Zealand delegates made a formal application at today’s meeting of the Games Federation.

It was the only application received though Scotland, which had lost a bid to hold the 1966 Games, indicated that application may be made later.

No particular New Zealand city was mentioned as a possible venue for the 1970 Games. Delegates said the venue would be decided if and when New Zealand’s application was grpiKed.

New Zealand was represented at the meeting, which decided on Kingston, Jamaica, as the venue for the 1966 Games, by Messrs C. L. S. Cross (voting delegate), C. R. Moore and C. H. Hain. The manager of the New Zealand Games team, Mr C. M. Kay. the assistant manager. Mr A. H. Malcolm, and the team chaperone. Mrs D Fitzsimmons, also attended. New Zealand favoured retaining the present Games programme, including rowing and lawn bowls, and gave its support in the vote to countries which were prepared to stage these events. Rhodesia, with five votes, was eliminated in the first ballot, and the decision then became a straight issue between Scotland and Jamaica Before the second vote was taken, the Aden delegate left the room and the final voting was Jamaica 17, Edinburgh 16. The decision means that there will be no rowing or lawn bowls events at the 1966 Games. Badminton and shooting have been substituted.

In discussion on the Games programme but forward by the three countries interested in staging the 1966 Games, New Zealand asked whether there could be any change or compromise. The ruling was that the programmes would stand as they were submitted. No Faculties The Jamaicans said they had no facilities for staging either rowing or bowls. They proposed to hold men’s and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles badminton championship*. In the shooting section they proposed holding service rifle, small-bore rifle, free pistol and automatic pistol events plus possible claybird shooting. Details of the shooting programme were left to the federation council to decide.

Rhodesia planned to hold rowing but to substitute shooting for fencing. Scotland would have retained the full present Games programme, including rowing and lawn bowls.

Also on the meeting’s agenda was the question of re-admitting South Africa to the Commonwealth Games. The item was put forward for discussion but none of the delegates chose to speak on it and the meeting passed on to the next business.