SWIMMING Titles And Tours Dates Conflict

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30125, 8 May 1963, Page 17

SWIMMING Titles And Tours Dates Conflict

The dates proposed by the NelsonMarlborough centre for the 1964 national swimming championships, to be held at Blenheim, could conflict with the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s plans for tours of the Dominion next season. The council of the association last night instructed its championships committee to seek a solution to the problem.

The centre's proposed dates for the New Zealand championships were February 18 to 22, but the chairman of the council (Mr A. J. Donaldson) said the Australian title meeting would be held between the middle and end of February. To hold the national meeting at approximately the sam# time would cut across the council's scheme to have an Australian team and perhaps a State team or teams take part m the Blenheim meeting and then tour the country with a selected New Zealand side. To bring the dates of the championships forward would be to conflict with the association's own ruling that the meeting should not be held before the third week in February, said the secretary (Miss D, Brown). To put the dates back would be to clash with the national surf championships on March 7, 8 and 9, added Mrs R. Ironside. Mr Donaldson said the championships committee's first move would be to ascertain if the Amateur Swimming Union of Australia could hold its championships as late as possible in February to enable Australian competitors to complete their New Zealand tour with a week to spare. Decision Delayed

The council resolved to delay the decision on the dates for the New Zealand championships to its next meeting. at the latest.

After Miss Brown had reported that all centres bar

Otago had returned their affiliation fees. Mr Donaldacn announced that tn accordance with the rules of the association Otago's vote on the council would be suspended. Otago, however, is not represented on the council at present, its delegate (Mr D. W. Reid) having moved to Auckland recently. The appointment of a new resident delegate has yet to be made.

The Minister of Internal Affairs (Sir Leon Gotz) is to be invited to officially open the annual meeting of the association in October. The council made this decision on the suggestion of the Waikato delegate (Mr S. Williams).