British papers laud Games

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 12

British papers laud Games

ff Z.P..4. StaJJ Correspondent) LONDON. “Christchurch has given sport hope for the future.” the "Daily Telegraph” said in London yesterday, summing up British press reaction to the Commonwealth Games. Beneath the ‘‘Daily Telegraph” headline, the sports writer, Donald Saunders, said: ‘‘Christchurch hasproved that it is still pos-. sible to promote a big international. multi-racial sporting festival without aggrava-, ting political strife or! colour consciousness.” They were the “most enjoyable” Games—Common-; wealth or Olympic—he had: attended. The “Daily Mail” report was headed: “These were the: happiest Games of all.” The writer, lan Wooldridge,! joined Neil Allen in “The Times” in favourable reports, too. on the controversial! closing ceremony. A banner headline read:, “Good bye, Christchurch;! sport makes sense again.” : Wooldridge described the closing ceremony as “the most glorious royal shambles i ever seen” when the com-: petitors took over. “They danced and sky-' larked and had the Queen ini stitches and by the time' they dispersed to return to their 38 countries in excel-i lent humour we knew that these great sporting occasions are worth going on with. ‘They were the happiest

.Games I can remember. For this we owe an unpayable debt to Christchurch, New! Zealand, for showing us) that good will is more vital! than luxury stadia and that! a little courtesy on top of! commonsense organisation is the key to it all.”