Roller Skater Gets Late Invitation

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31832, 9 November 1968, Page 17

Roller Skater Gets Late Invitation

Miss M. MacDonald, who won a gold medal in the world roller skating championships in Italy recently, has been belatedly invited to attend the “New Zealand Sportsman of the Year” dinner at Hamilton.

Miss MacDonald was omitted from the regional list and in a letter to “The Press,” a correspondent, Mr M. Clarke, asked what standard had to be attained to be invited. “I have followed with interest this year’s ‘Canterbury Sportsman of the Year contest in which a roller skater is standing high on the poll, and was amazed to find from the list qf, sports to be presented at the ‘New Zealand Sportsman of the Year’ dinner at Hamilton, which was published in your paper, that roller skating is not to be presented. “If the winning of a gold

medal by Marlene MacDonald, of Masterton, and two silver medals and a bronze medal by the other members of the team at the 1968 world championships does' not qualify a sport to be invited to this function, ! would be interested to know what Standard must be attained." Mr R. D. McVicker, honorary secretary of the Murray Halberg Trust for Crippled Children, said in reply: “Since the Trust’s inception it has always been our policy to arrange for the formation of a sportswriter’s committee in the town of dinner venue, and it is this committee which makes recommendations to the trust on the sports to be represented, and the representatives from these sports who will be invited to attend the dinner as guests of the trust. “The trust, however, retains control of all arrangements for the dinner. We regret that Miss MacDonald has been overlooked in this year’s selection, and in recognition of her achievements we have sent a telegram and letter inviting her to attend the dinner as our guest representing roller skating."