Surf team attacked for competing

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 20

Surf team attacked for competing

Under the guise of attending a medical congress the New Zealand surf life-saving ■ team was helping to bring South African white sportsmen back into international competition and condoning apartheid, the Christchurch Committee on Southern Africa said last night.

The organiser of the committee (Mrs J. Basher) said that a cable had been sent to the manager of the team (Mr A. Veart) deploring his failure to withdraw the team from competition against a racially selected South African side.

“Under apartheid, all races are not given an open and; equal chance of selection.; The manager has openly! breached an undertaking! given by the New Zealand; association last November! that the team would withdraw at the slightest hint of I racial discrimination.” “The New Zealand Surf • Life-Saving Association had

failed not only in breaking its promise,” Mrs Basher said, “but also in its sense of timing. At the very moment at which African and Indian sportsmen were being welcomed in Christchurch, the progress of their fellows in South Africa was being treated as a matter of indifference by a New ZeaHand team.”

Soccer.—The Brazilian soccer; idol Pele. after playing some; of his best football in years.! !has denied that he will make! la come-back to the Brazilian I team for the World Cup finals lin Munich. He was instrumental in all the goals when his team. Santos, beat Botafogo 3-0 in Rio de Janeiro