Lions ‘in for shock’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 28

Lions ‘in for shock’

The President of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (Mr A. Ordia) said on Wednesday that the council Mould be showing its resentment against the British Lions’ Rugby lour of South Africa next year. He declined, however, to elaborate on this, or specify the way the resentment would be shown "1 don't want to give you mv trump card," he said. Mr Ordia. who arrived in Christchurch very early on Wednesday, held a short press conference at the Games village press centre before attending a reception

! for the Duke of Edinburgh. r Asked if African action might begin with some sort • of protest directed against • the British teams at the ] Games, Mr Ordia did not rule . this out, but said such a move was unlikely. jr “LITTLE CONTROVERSY” i “There was a little controversy which nearly made it impossible for myself and , my African brothers to come to Christchurch," he said. i “However, a sporting solution was found. We are very x happy that this was the case, because we would not have , wished to miss these Games; , New Zealand is a fine count try and New Zealanders fine e people.” e Mr Ordia denied that the supreme council was at all "political.” "The council deals mainly with sport and culture,” he said. "Our object is to bring

[the young people of our con-i tinent together and to raise ! the standards of sport.” Questioned about some of] the statements which had ap-[ peared in the New Zealand! press over the threatened’ African boycott of the Games ( if the Springbok Rugby tour I was not called off. Mr Ordia 1 j said that he often laughed at) I some of the views which I were ascribed to him. “I have seen statements; under my name in the New) Zealand press which I would ; never ever have contemplated .saying,” he said. Mr Ordia said that if a pol[icy of isolation against South I Africa was pursued, in two or three years there would be a revolution there. It would (not be a revolution with guns, he said. but. one in which sportsmen, deprived of world competition, would go to their M.P.s and demand changed policies. I