Sportsman’s Notebook S.I. Titles Vital To Swimmers

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30312, 12 December 1963, Page 4

Sportsman’s Notebook S.I. Titles Vital To Swimmers

The South Isla"1 Swimming championships, a brave attempt to provide a stepping stone between centre and national competition, appear to be firmly established as an annual event.

The 1963 meeting, to be held in Greymouth on Saturady night, should confirm this impression. The first three contests were conducted in Christchurch to place the championships on a firm footing; now the West Coast centre has the task of carrying the achievements a stage further. The success of the meeting is vital to South Island swimming, for it is the one real chance for leading southern competitors to test themselves in open competition of good standard before being pitted against the racesharpened North Islanders at the national championships. Wholehearted support from all centres is necessary for the continued success of the South Island meeting. In this respect a big problem associated with holding the championships in Greymouth —the time and distance involved in travelling—has already been overcome. Strong Backing Canterbury, with 22 competitors, has given strong backing to the meeting, but the most significant move was the Southland centre’s decision to send a team of 20. A rail trip from Invercargill to 'Greymouth of about 17 hours could have acted as a deterrent, but the Southland centre's decision fully to support the championships has set an example which should be followed by all centres as the meeting moves round the South Island. The absence in Auckland of three national champions —Misses S. A. Nicholson and J. Reid (formerly of Canterbury) and J. Kennedy (Southland)—and the nonappearance of W. G. Andrew (Canterbury) and Miss Dunlop (Otago), two other fine swimmers, may, in some measure, detract from the genera’, appeal of the championships. But it will also provide a splendid opportunity for a number of others to press their claims. The absence of Miss Nicholson, for instance, should result in a series of keen contests in which the Canterbury girls, Misses J. Clark, L. Harrow and S. Pitama, and Miss J. Ray (West Coast) will be prominent. Men’s backstroke tussles between the Canterbury trio —W. Williamson, A. Harrow and B. Hocking—and the Otago champion, I. Brown, should produce good racing but the most interesting contests are likely to be in women’s breaststroke. The challenge to the national junion champion, Miss L. Baker (Southland), from Canterbury’s Misses C. Hopper, M. Jones and L. Blackett may

well provide the highlight of the meeting. * ¥ » Chinese Soccer Soccer is regarded as the most international of any game and it is no surprise to see China, 70 years after the game was introduced into that country, taking on the game with unlimited enthusiasm and resources. China’s first match on an international scale was against a Czechoslovakian Army team in 1951, The score was 17 to I—against China. This only served to place soccer as an international "must” for China and since then strenuous efforts have been made to bring the game up to accepted international standards. The result has been that China is now perhaps the strongest of the Asian soccerplaying countries, having beaten most other Asian countries and also being able to match leading professional teams which have toured China. ¥ ¥ ¥ Three Successes The Ashburton tennis plays’-, Miss H. Bruce, showed excellent form at Dunedin last Saturday when she played for Canterbury against Otago. She had a convincing win in the second women’s singles when she beat the South Island title-holder, Miss S. Field. Partnered by Miss D Smith in the doubles and G. Ford in the mixed she had two more successes.

Miss Bruce is not a forceful player, but she strokes the ball well, is consistent, and places her shots accurately. Although she does not play ranking matches, Miss Bruce could obviously gain a high place on the provincial ladder. * * * Sarawak Walk Two New Zealanders in Sarawak acquitted themselves well in a “Big Walk” of 10 miles held as part of the celebrations on the formation of Malaysia. More than 1000 competitors took part in the race and E. Friel, of Christchurch, gained seventh place in the veterans’ race and W, Robertson, of Dunedin, won a cup for finishing eighth in the senior race, which had 300 entries. * » * Wight Captain The Canterbury professional cricket coach, P. B. Wight, has been appointed captain of the Canterbury team to play New Zealand Universities on December 20 and 21. P. G. Z. Harris is to serve as vice-captain of the Canterbury Plunket Shield side snder G. T. Dowling