Basketball Second To Sightseeing?

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31142, 19 August 1966, Page 12

Basketball Second To Sightseeing?

Allegations that some overseas teams were “taking advantage of the New Zealand association” and that the University of Adelaide team had come to the Dominion for a “free sightseeing trip” rather than specifically to play basketball, were made at a meeting of the Canterbury Men’s Basketball Association last evening.

j The team, which included the Australian Olympic player, W. Linde, was beaten by Canterbury last Saturday. From what he had seen of the tourists their over-all standard was not very high, the convener of the representative sub-committee (Mr C. W. Anderson) said. It was just an "easy, cheap holiday” for some of the sides that were coming to New Zealand. Referring to the recent visit, he said that the Australian students could not be expected to play basketball if they were going to stay up to 5.30 the morning before a game. “Some thought will have to be given to the matter." Mr Anderson said. A person who had billeted one of the players had told him that the New Zealand Association was being used, the president (Mr R. S. Thomson) said. The Australians were getting cheap travel, cheap board and having a good look around. “In some respects, this is fair comment," Mr Thomson said. However, he pointed out that the visit of the team in some of the smaller centres which usually never saw a touring team had done some good for basketball. It had done a lot for the West

Coast, for example, he said. It was one of the best teams it had ever had there. Too Many Tours The remarks he had heard were well founded, commented the acting chairman (Mr M. A. Henshall). Some administrators at national level considered that tours, tours, tours were the answer. They were “out of touch with reality.” They might be in touch in their own area but the areas were not in touch with one another, he said. “We should be fairly strong in our views that when we have a team like San Jose here, we don't need anyone else,” Mr Henshall said. Tours taking part after the San Jose visit had fallen flat. He expressed the hope that the next meeting of the council would devote some time on the problem of tours.