Might follow in father's steps

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32903, 29 April 1972, Page 4

Might follow in father's steps

One member of New Zealand's small team of seven at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games was Mr N. Fisher, a national amateur boxing champion who is now a publican at Tai Tapu. This year his son, Harley, might also go to Germany as an Olympic competitor, for he has been nominated for the judo competitions at Munich.

Fisher, a 27-year-old Auckland middle-weight, is one of three judokas nominated by the national federation. The others are R. Littlewood, a light heavyweight who has been living in Japan for the last five years, and another Aucklander. J. Oosterman, a heavy-weight. If Fisher and his companions are successful in gaining selection for the Games—they are almost certain to among those whose parent organisations will have to raise the money to send them—it will be the second time Fisher has visited Germany. He represented New Zealand in the world championships at Ludwigshaven last year, and

also at the 1969 world championships in Mexico.

Last year Fisher was eliminated by a Korean master who eventually gained third place in the light-weight section after taking the winner, a Japanese, to a very close decision in the final.

“If you strike a Japanese or a Korean in the early rounds you are in trouble,” Fisher explained. “But there are many countries competing which are in much the same stage of development in the sport as New Zealand.”

Fisher has won the New Zealand middle-weight title five times and also took the middle-weight and open titles at the last Oceania championships in 1968.

This year, the Oceania titles will be contested in Sydney and the New Zealand Federation plans to send a team of 10 judokas. Six of the 10 are from Auckland, and H. Kellens is the only Canterbury exponent to gain selection.