Track Standard Is Causing Concern

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31167, 17 September 1966, Page 16

Track Standard Is Causing Concern

Leading Canterbury athletics officials are concerned that the Christchurch City Council’s endeavours to lower the cost of the proposed all-weather track at Queen Elizabeth II Park by seeking alternative materials, could lead to a sub-standard surface.

An explanation for the ! delay in its construction had (been received from the coun|cil, the retiring president (Mr W. A. Kennedy) told the annual meeting of the Canterbury Athletic Centre. Tenders had been received but they were too high. Now the council was trying to find a way of lowering the cost of construction without detracting from the standard of the finished product. Alternative materials, possibly locally manufactured, had been mentioned, Mr Kennedy said. The original intention was to have the surface constructed from materials which have been well tried on allweather tracks throughout the world. Immediate Action Referring to the possibility of the council building the track with locally-made materials, Mr Kennedy said: "This is something the incoming exe. cutive will have to act on straight away. The all-weather track committee will have to meet the council and get this ironed out. “I am sure the council will not go for something! cheap and nasty. “I feel that it should be pointed out that Christchurch is the only major city in New Zealand without an all weather track,” said the vicepresident (Mr B. Kerr). Its construction was being held up for another season and Canterbury was falling behind other centres. “We are doomed to use a grass track for at least another season,” he said. Auckland Meeting From the latest correspondence it looked as though the possibility of holding an annual contest between Canterbury and Auckland was even further away. “I cannot understand why Auckland is not keen on this,” said Mr Kennedy. “This time finance was the problem.” It appeared that the only

| way of starting it off was to issue a challenge to Auckland .and get a sponsor to bring its [team to Christchurch. Canterbury would go to Auckland [the following year and then 'perhaps it would become an lannual event, Mr Kennedy [said. The cost of bringing a team from Auckland would be about £4OO. The Canterbury centre has been trying to establish an annual contest with Auckland for years without success. Athletes Criticised The common practice of top athletes staying away from the inter-club events at Rugby Park until the season was fairly well advanced, was criticised by Mr Kennedy. "Too many of the betterclass athletes are leaving it until Christmas before they come out. 1 do not think this is quite justified. They could come out on the third or fourth meeting and give us their support," he said. Inter-club meetings in the early part of the season were quite flat because of this attitude. Something had to be done to improve the tone of the early meetings, he said. Titles in Christchurch All Canterbury championships will in future be held in Christchurch, if the words of Mr Kennedy are heeded by the new executive committee. Last season the Canterbury six-mile race was held in Greymouth for the first time. “Much as 1 would like to assist the West Coast and other country centres, 1 think it proved not altogether wise to let the six-mile championship out of the province. Not only did it detract from our own championships but it did not attract a very big entry. “I think this is a lesson we have learned,” Mr Kennedy said.