“Sideline” manager elated

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33447, 31 January 1974, Page 18

“Sideline” manager elated

For one Commonwealth Games team manager, sport is only a “sideline.” He is a Christchurch - born Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. D. Mullins, who is in charge of the Tongan team. But the organisation and effort involved in getting six boxers, two shooters and four athletes to Christchurch from far-from-affluent Tonga has been well worth it for Father Mullins, ordinarily a Marist parish priest in Lapaha. He says the Games have brought to light a possible future world decathlon champion in 22-year-old Sanitesi Latu, a previously unknown athlete of great natural talent. Latu, handicapped by the effects of an injury, was sec-, ond or third during most of!

.the rigorous contest, and ! finished fifth. "For him to hold his own among world-renowned athletes was terrific,” said Father Mullins. "He had not (taken part in a decathlon since 1971 when he competed in the South Pacific Games in Tahiti.” WORLD CHAMPION? Latu was sent to Melbourne for four months of coaching and training before the Games and improved! markedly. “Mr Alan Barlow, of Mel-1 [bourne, who is coach with' the Australians here, consid-i ers he has the potential to be a world champion,”! Father Mullins said. Asked what Latu did at I home in Tonga, the priest-1 manager replied: "He is i unemployed like most of them.” Tonga has many athletes! |of high ability, but they re-1 iceive neither expert coach-' ing nor competition.

One of the shooters, Sesimani Fenukitau, aged 27, scored two possibles at 600 yards in the full bore rifle shooting, but at other distances was not as good. “With three months training, this was a remarkable performance,” Father Mullins said. Shooting has been organised in Tonga by a V.S.A. member, Mr W. Oakley, of Hororata, who is teaching at an agricultural college. TURN PROFESSIONAL I In spite of Tonga’s reputa-i tion for outstanding boxers, the two who competed in I the Games are only in their! first year in the sport. “The reason we did not! bring good boxers is that: within a year or two years,! they turn professional,” i Father Mullins says. “This is I in turn due to unemploy-1 went. A recent! championship boxing bout in | Tonga brought in the,

[equivalent of a year’s ordinary wages to the participants.” It cost $6OOO to bring the Tongan team and three [officials to Christchurch, but not a cent came from the [Tongan Government, according to Father Mullins, who !has worked in the Islands for 17 years. He said that $l5OO came ! from an invitation Rugby match in which W. F. [McCormick and C. E. Meads [played, the Tongan community in Auckland raised $2OOO, Benson and Hedges! (gave $lOOO, and the rest was : raised locally. WELCOME VISITORS A jubilant Tongan team ! yesterday greeted its Prime Minister (Prince. Tuipelehake) [and Princess Pelolevu, eldest daughter of the King of Tonga, when they visited the village to congratulate their country’s representatives.