26st Basketball Official Causes Big Problems

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30820, 4 August 1965, Page 19

26st Basketball Official Causes Big Problems

When the Queensland Men’s Basketball Association sent details of its touring party to the New Zealand association, it omitted one important statistic—the size of its manager, Mr Jim Connolly.

This has already provided problems of accommodation and transport for Mr Connolly tips the scales at 26-stone.

After its first match of the tour, against Combined Services in Wellington on Saturday, the party flew to Nelson to play the province’s representative team.

To the consternation of officials and the amusement

of other passengers, the seat belts in the aeroplane were inadequate to contain Mr Connoly’s bulk. However, the ingenious aircrew quickly overcame the difficulty and the genial giant had to be roped to his seat for the take-off and landing. No-one had thought to warn the Nelson association of what to expect but it was quickly convinced that the 2ft 6in bed he was to be provided with in his billet would hardly be large enough to support his huge frame, let alone sleep on. Yesterday, Mr Connoly travelled to Christchurch in the back seat of a 36-seater bus. The normal double seats were too small.

Fortunately, news of his size had preceded him. The secretary of the Nelson association (Mrs Z. Gay) contacted the local association yesterday afternoon with a warning to “supply a big bed.”

Yet for all his size, Mr Connoly has been an active sportsman of no mean repute. He has represented Mackay at Rugby League, hockey and cricket, and was a founder member of the Mackay Basketball Association which now has more than 130 teams competing in its competitions. A journalist, he has been

the Queensland state basketball selector since 1960.

(Mr Connoly fills a large portion of the above photograph, with G. Pollock (left) and D. Mackereth.)