Quax's expulsion CONTENT OF ARTICLE “NOT THE REASON”

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33445, 29 January 1974, Page 1

Quax's expulsion CONTENT OF ARTICLE “NOT THE REASON”

(By

R. O. DEW)

The content of the article R. Quax, of Auckland, had written for a Sunday newspaper had nothing to do with his expulsion from the national Commonwealth Games team, the manager (Mr W. Holley) said at a press conference at Queen Elizabeth II Park yesterday afternoon.

When Quax joined the team he had signed an agreement with the New Zealand Olympic and British Commonwealth Games Association not to supply any statements to the press, radio, television, or any other media.

He had contravened this and that was why his competitor’s pass had heen withdrawn, Mr Holley said.

“No special consideration was given to the type of article written.

“This is not a personal matter. 1 have no personal animosity towards him. I hope to see him rise like phoenix from the ashes," Mr Holley said. The expulsion of Quax from the New Zealand team and the subsequent withdrawal of his right to stay in the village by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee was unheralded and came as a major shock.

He was originally the favourite to win the 5000 metres, to be held today, until a hairline fracture of a

bone in a foot forced him to withdraw. However, he was permitted to remain as a full member of the New Zealand team, with all the associated privileges.

Several meetings Mr Holley said that the decision had been his but it had not been one he had taken lightly. After the publication of the article in the “Sunday Times,” several meetings at a variety of levels had been held to discuss the matter.

The president, chairman and secretary of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games Association, and Mr Sandy Duncan, the secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation, had all been consulted. There were other arising from Quax’s action but they would be a matter for the New Zealand Ama-

teur Athletic Association and the International Amateur Athletic Federation, Mr Holley said. This appeared to indicate that Quax’s amateur status might be in jeopardy because of the article but later in the conference Mr Holley said he felt that his amateur status was safe.

“I wouldn’t suggest for one moment that his amateur status is in jeopardy. 1 sincerely hope that his amateur status is not impaired in any way.

“I have been collecting information on the matter and it seems that his action was the result of a misunderstanding.”

“No pressure” Mr Holley said that he had received no complaints directly about the article and that he had not been placed under any pressure to remove Quax from the team.

However, the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (Mr R. S. Scott), who was also at the conference, said that there had been general discussion by managers at their meeting in the morning. They had felt that the situation whereby an athlete was writing for a newspaper and yet living in the village should not exist.

A suggestion that pressure had been brought to bear by the Kenyan team—Quax’s article severely criticised the tactics of the Kenyans in the 10.000 metres —was rebutted by Mr Scott. “The Kenyan manager (Mr S. S. Rao) was not at the managers’ meeting this morning. He has not complained.” Mr Scott described the suggestion, attributed by journalists to Quax. as “simply not true, or a false assumption.” “I am angry that Quax should be put in this position,” said Mr Scott. “He is too good an athlete and a sportsman for this. It is bad for Quax and it is bad for the sport. I don’t think he was well advised.”

the “Sunday Times” indicated that Quax had been commentating for the N.Z.B.C. over radio. Mr Scott and Mr Holley indicated that they had no knowledge of this. The same journalist said that approval for Quax to write the articles had been obtained verbally from the secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association.

Mr Holley said that the role of the athletic association was secondary to his own. “All team members are governed by the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association.”

Asked how Quax had taken the news of his expulsion, Mr Holley said: “He reacted most favourably. He was taken aback, but his action was the action of a true sportsman.” Mr Scott said that Quax had been invited to stay in the village by the team management ' after he had been forced to withdraw from the Games because of injury. “Apparently, he has now broken one of the team rules. He can no longer stay in the village.” However, Quax had been supplied with tickets for all remaining events and arrangements had been made for him to have a temporary day pass to the Games village, Mr Scott said.

A journalist representing

Rules plain The chairman of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association (Mr C. A. Blazey) said that so far as Quax’s writing was concerned the international rules of amateur athletics were quite plain. “If there was no payment there is no problem,” he said. Asked for his opinion on Quax’s expulsion from the Olympic village, Mr Blazey would go no further than say: “Athletes who are members of the New Zealand team are under the control of the team manager appointed by the New Zealand and British Commonwealth Games Committee.”

Bewildered Quax was yesterday bewildered by his expulsion. He said he had no intention of doing anything wrong. No offer of payment for the articles had been made and he, as an amateur, would never have considered accepting any. By writing articles on the Games, he could retain his interest.

But Quax chose a controversial subject for his first article. Under the main heading of “Mor: dirty work afoot,” he said: “I reckon we are all goin„ to need ringside seats for today’s heats of the 5000 metres because there is going to be some interesting racing. “In fact, all boxing fans should be at Queen Elizabeth II Park today because it’s going to look a little like the ring in Canterbury Court.

“After the 10,000 metres final on Friday night I took Dave Bedford out mainly to get him away from any Kenyans.

“After the hammering they gave him during the race he was out to get them. “Frankly, I was disgusted with the tactics the Kenyan runners us.ed during the race.”

He said that everybody expected the odd elbow or shove but when it was as blatant as it had been for two laps, somebody should have bee. disqualified. He also expressed surprise that the English team manager had not lodged a protest.