Olympic water polo trials are planned

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 16

Olympic water polo trials are planned

A series of coaching clinics, to double as trials, will be held In the winter as the major part of the build-up to New Zealand’s water polo elimination match against Australia for the Munich Olympic Games. This was the decision made by a special meeting of the Water polo board on Saturday, held as a result of the amateur swimming association taking the first steps to have New Zealand formally entered in the Olympic Games water polo. F.1.N.A., the international swimming body, has recommended that one of the competing countries should be from the South Pacific area, and Australia and New Zealand have to meet to find the area’s representative. Saturday’s meeting was also told that the cost of the trip to Australia would be about $5OOO and agreed that provincial boards should start fund-raising now. Therefore, they will be

told at the annual general meeting—in two months time—the sums the national board feels each should raise. These are 3700 by Canterbury, Wellington, Otago, Auckland and Waikato; 5500 by Manawatu: $3OO each by Walrarapa and Wanganui; and $2OO by Nelson and Poverty Bay-Hawke’s Bay. The meeting heard suggestions from the national coach (Mr W. H. Dyson) on the form and timing of the trials. One major point where the meeting held different views to Mr Dyson s was with regard to the first trial. .. .a K. Mr Dyson felt there should be one trial, with all the tenders, but the board chairman (Mr N. R. Chambers) presented figures which showed a considerable saving could be made if there were two trials, in Dunedin and Wellington, on different week-ends. This was agreed to by tne meeting, and the trials will be

held early In May. The datea will be dependent on the availability of pools. There will be a further trial in Hamilton In August—possibly In the school holidays—and the final selections will be made In the Christmas-New Year period. It is likely that the final trial will be in Wellington. The meeting also agreed with Mr D. F. Stewart that motivation targets should be set. "Our top water polo players should be far more swimming fit, and all of them should have the N.Z.A.S.A. log book and fill It in,” he said. As a resutl of the subsequent discussion, It was decided to ask Mr Dyson to produce a schedule of swimming fitness requirements—possibly after consulting a professional coach. If there were requirements, such as these, the original squad of 28 or 30 would reduce Itself through some players not meeting their objectives. Reductions would also be made after the August trial, so there would be a final trial of about 18 players. The names of the trialists w"' be announced today by M Chambers.