Tennis RENOWNED PLAYER

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 15

Tennis RENOWNED PLAYER

A. Wilding Remembered “I was very concerned, both as an individual and as a member of this committee, to read in the newspaper that an All Black had said New Zealand had never produced a great tennis player,” said Mr M. C. Healey at last evening’s management committee meeting of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. Mr Healey, the chairman of the committee, said that the player was “John Graham a member of a reputable team.” “I would like to challenge that: I think it should be challenged here in Christchurch. “We produced in Michael Wil’ing”—“Anthony” interjected several members—“l mean Anthony Wilding, a player in world class.” “We can not expect to produce a great player all of the time but we should make a statement that in Christchurch we produced in Anthony Wilding, one of the greatest tennis players the world has seen.” Mr Healey’s proposal received a warm response from the other members of the committee. Graham, in an interview in the “Sunday Times,” gave his thesis on the major New Zealand sports. Graham had said that he believed New Zealand excelled at Rugby because it is a game that does not require any great individual skill. Tennis for example, he said—there have never been any great tennis players in New Zealand. Young Umpires Praise at the umpiring of young players at the Canterbury junior championships was expressed at the meeting. A letter from the secretary of the umpires’ association (Mr J. G. Ogier) said that he “had been instructed ... to congratulate you on the way the Canterbury junior cham-1 oionships were not only run, but also very capably um- > pired. It is very heartening' to see this among juniors.” The chairman of the management committee (Mr M. C. Healey) said that the umpiring was extremely good and many senior players could take a leaf out of the books of these youngsters—some of whom were only 13. Some of them sat up there as though they were umpiring at the national championships. he said.

Boeing Flights Scientists who have been working in the Antarctic and men of the naval support force are now returning to the Uriited States from Christchurch. A Military Air Tra sport Service Boeing which brought cargo to Christchurch yesterday will leave this morning on its return with 74 passengers. This flight will bring the number of men who have returned this month to about 200 There have been two other M.A.T.S. Boeing flights this month.