WATER POLO CONTEST

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30251, 2 October 1963, Page 17

WATER POLO CONTEST

N.Z. Reserve For Olympics

There may be no need for the elimination water polo match between New Zealand and Australia to decide which will contest the 1964 Olympic Games at Tokyo. The secretary of the Amateur Swimming Union of Australia (Mr W. Berge Phillips) informed members of the New Zealand Swimming Association’s council by letter in Christchurch last evening that he had been able to have New Zealand placed on the list of reserves.

Only two teams had to withdraw and both New Zealand and Australia would automatically become included in the final 16 for the games, he said

'T understand that there is a good possibility that at least two of the teams, Sweden and Belgium, will not be participating in Tokyo, and if this happens there will be no need for the elimination match.” Mr Berge Phillips said. The F I N.A. bureau has set March 15. 1964. as the final date for entries, he said. A suggestion that a tentative date for the elimination contest if it was necessary, be the week commencing March 21. was made by Mr Berge Phillips In his letter he also said that in the original correspondence

it had been suggested that the elimination matches be held in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. “This, of course, cannot happen, as this is not a tour of New Zealand but an Olympic elimination contest ”

He noted that few pools in New Zealand came up to the required standard for water polo competition, but that the Christchurch Centennial Pool was the closest to toe proper size.