SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31649, 8 April 1968, Page 24

SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF

R. M. Strong (Wellington), who toured Britain and France with the Kiwis in 1965, has forsaken Rugby League to concentrate on softball this year.

He has put the world softball series in Oklahoma City in October ahead of the world Rugby League championship in Australia and New Zealand. An outfielder for Hutt Valley, Strong will play in the final trials to select the softball tourists at Trentham during Easter week-end. Earlier this year he played for a New Zealand IX against the touring San Antonio All Stars.

After making his Wellington Rugby League debut at the age of 18, in 1962, Strong was forced to withdraw from the second test squad against France in 1964 because of injury. He played 11 games on tour before suffering a serious back injury that kept him out for all matches in 1966. Last season he returned to play for Southern Zone against Queensland.

Favourite Returns One of America’s greatest tennis players and one of the most popular post-war Wimbledon champions, Miss D. Hart, has entered the first “open” championships at Wimbledon. Miss Hart, a professional, will partner the

Australian, F. Sedgman, a former men’s title-holder, in the mixed doubles at the tournament, which starts on June 24. 10-Mile Record

The British runner, R. Hill, broke the world 10-mile record when he clocked 47min 2.2 sec at Leicester on Saturday. The previous record of 47min 12.8 sec was set by R. W. Clarke (Australia) in Melbourne three years ago.

Hill, who also holds the world records at 15 miles and 25,000 metres, was competing in the British Athletics championships. The 29-year-old Hill, a research scientist, is expected to represent Britain in the 10,000 metres and marathon events in the Olympic Games in Mexico City in October. His 10-mile time also broke the four-year-old United Kingdoin all-comers and national record held by M. Batty, by 24.65ec. Hill arrived at the track only eight minutes before the race, having been delayed in a traffic jam.

In A Hurry Forty-six members of the Titirangi club completed a round of golf before breakfast yesterday in the world record time of 14min 33.25ec. The players were spaced around the course and sent the ball On its way as quickly as possible after it came to them. They broke the old record

time of 17min 20sec, which was set in 1939 by a large team of players at the famous Tam O’Shanter course in Illinois.

Fastest Swimmer The South African swimmer, Miss K. Muir, on Saturday set a new world record for the 100 metres women’s backstroke, with a time of Imin 6.4 sec. The previous record was Imin 6.7 sec, which she also set. Cities Invited

The United States Lawn Tennis Association on Saturday called for applications from cities interested in sponsoring open tennis tournaments this year. The U.S.L.T.A. president, Mr R. Kelleher, asked potential sponsors to submit their applications by April 15, and said that they would be acted on by the U.S.L.T.A. executive committee within 14 days after that date.

The executive committee, which has approved open tennis along the lines laid down by the International Lawn Tennis Federation at its meeting in Paris on March 30, is expected to hold no more than four open tournaments this year.

lOsecs Again The South African sprinter, P. Nash, twice equalled the world 100 metres record of

lOsec at Standerton, Transvaal, on Saturday. Nash, who also equalled the world mark on Tuesday in Krugersdorp, clocked lOsec in his heat and the final in the Eastern Transvaal athletics championships. Fairlie Beaten

The New Zealand Davis Cup player, B. J. Fairlie, put up a stern fight before he was eliminated in the third round of the South African men’s singles championship in Johannesburg on Saturday. He was beaten, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 6-4, by the United States international, C. Graebner.

Possible Walk-over The New Zealand women’s table tennis team may have a walk-over in its first match in the South-East Asia Pacific area table tennis championships at Melbourne today. The Indonesian team drawn to play New Zealand had not arrived last evening. The New Zealand women’s team is also drawn against Australia today, while the men’s team will play Thailand and Malaysia in its first two matches of the round-robin teams’ event.

Japan is favoured to win the men’s event and Korea and Japan are expected to fight out the women’s title. The New Zealand players are A. Tomlinson (Auckland), M. Borlase (Wellington), Mrs Tadema (Hamilton), and Miss D. Wade (Tauranga).