DECISION REVERSED Games Entry Retained

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31660, 22 April 1968, Page 12

DECISION REVERSED Games Entry Retained

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The New Zealand men’s basketball Association yesterday reversed the decision made on Saturday to drop entry in the 1972 Olympic Games at Munich from its international programme.

The association will retain it tentatively and review the decision each year at the annual meeting. The four-year international programme submitted by the tours sub-committee to yesterday’s annual meeting is: 1969. All-Japan to New Zealand; 1970, New Zealand juniors to Australia, New Zealand to Japan: 1971, fir.t

Oceania tournament in New Zealand; 1972, New Zealand to Munich Olympic qualifying tournament. Delegates also objected on Saturday to a tours sub-com-mittee proposal that the meeting make an $8 annual levy on senior sif’es and $4 on junior teams to support the programme. Yesterday, they successfully proposed a $4 levy on senior sides and $1 on junior teams, starting next year. , The president, Mr C. L. S. Cross, had earlier warned delegates: “Any organisation either exports, imports or perishes. You can’t bury your head in the sand.” Schools* Championshi" A national inter-schools’ championship was one of a series of junior reforms approved by the meeting. They were accepted despite Auckland claims that increased team levies needed to support them “will cause disaffiliations.” The meeting also approved plans to introduce the game to primary schools, coaching forums for high school teachers and Hie setting up of a national junior administration by the appointment of junior basketball development officers in each district It is hoped to start the'secondary schools’ championship this season. Schools will play off to find district then northern (north of Palmerston North) and southern zone winners. The zone winners will meet on a home-and-away basis for -the championship. Financial i assistance will be provided by the national association. Lower Age Limit The meeting defeated a proposal to limit entry in the invitation tournament to teams that have not Competed in the finals of the Rothmans national series, but agreed to lower the junior age limit from under 19 to under 18 on September 30. Proposals for coaching forums will go to a national commitee set up during the meeting on the suggestion of the national coach, Mr C. Agnew. The committee will be: Messrs Agnew, W. Dyson, T. Wright, M. McDougal, C. Dempsey and A. Anderson. The structure of the national council was streamlined. It now comprises six national councillors, six members of the management committee and the president and vice-presidents of the association. It is nearly a 50 per -cent cut in the council’s size, j Mr Cross was re-elected uniopposed as president Mr R. -W. McCall, nominated by Hutt Valley, retained his seat as the North Island vice--president in a billot against Mr E. Doherty (Auckland). Mr M. Henshall (Canterbury and Nelson) was reelected unopposed. as the South Island vice-president.