Top Basketball Teams In Chch Tournament

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32304, 23 May 1970, Page 13

Top Basketball Teams In Chch Tournament

(By Our Basketball Reporter)

A men’s basketball tournament between four of the country’s leading teams —Canterbury, Nelson, Wellington and Palmerston North—will be held in Christchurch on July 17 and 18.

Details were announced yesterday by the publicity officer of the Canterbury Men’s Basketball Association (Mr G. Jones).

Designed to help Canterbury’s build-up for the national tournament, it should also sharpen up the team for the match against the Czechoslovakian tourists a few days later, on July 22. Wellington is the present national champion. Unfortunately, the tournament has been put on at some cost. It seems likely that A grade competition

games will once again have, to be postponed and the I chance of seeing the touring | ISydney Metropolitan side in Christchurch will be lost.

The Sydney side is expected to tour the Dominion as a replacement for the Simon Fraser University team and a match was offered Ito Canterbury on Wednesday, July 5. However, the Canterbury executive decided that it would be unfair to ask the provincial team to play the Australians two days before a major tournament and only a week before the international against Czechoslovakia.

It also felt that the $lOO asked by the national body as a guarantee for what is only an Australian club side was too much. Negotiations have not yet been closed. If the itinerary of the Australians could be changed slightly, they could take part in the quadrangular tournament. But the guarantee would have to be reduced before this could be seriously considered. There is also a chance that

: ithe game will be offered to lithe Mid-Canterbury association. In this case, Midi Canterbury would be expected to field an invitation

team rather than its own representative side. Five teams —Canterbury, Otago, Nelson, Southland and Marlborough—have entered for the South Island Rothmans championship to be held in Cowles Stadium next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The winner will qualify for the national final to be played in Auckland later in the season.