Tennis stands firm

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33577, 4 July 1974, Page 26

Tennis stands firm

(By

A. AL MENZIES)

The Lawn Tennis Association remains firm in its desire to hold the Federation Cup international women’s tournament in New Zealand.

Because the Government was not prepared to accept the entry of South Africa, New Zealand was forced to withdraw its application to hold the 1974 tournament.

Acceptance of South Africa’s entry was a condition of the event being awarded to New Zealand by the international federation. In an article on the inside front cover of the N.Z.L.T.A. annual report, headed "The right to play tennis,” the chairman of the management committee (Mr I. D. Wells) criticises Government interference “after it had been made quite clear we were first choice for the venue.” The association prepared a lengthy case for submission to the Government, including full details of the method of selecting the South African team. “It is history now that our submission was unsuccessful and New Zealand missed the opportunity of staging a world event involving some 20 countries because of Government interference,” Mr Wells says. Fundamental belief “We stated then, and reiterate, our firm belief in the freedom of any sport to play against who it wants to and where it wants'to, without interference, and in accord with its own rules and the rules of the international sports body to which it affili"This is a fundamental belief. Nothing that has occurred since has altered it in any way and we remain firm in our desire to stage the Federation Cup in New Zealand in accordance with the rules of the 1.L.T.F.” 50,000 mark In the report itself, Mr Wells says the most heartening news for the year is that the association, has “cracked finally the 50,000 barrier in membership.” Eighteen of the 21 associations showed membership increases and the national figure rose to 51,385.

However, the season was not the easiest to administer. Financial problems, difficulties with securing overseas players and consequent tournament problems, offset by other tournaments which were resounding successes, made for a mixed domestic package.. In view of the circumstances, the year’s excess of expenditure over income of $1605.26 can be regarded as

satisfactory, the report says. | The loss on the 1973 Davis : Cup tour was $10,800.02, most as a direct result of having to play three European countries, including ■ Rumania, in their own coun-i tries. This heavy loss I absorbed in 1973-74 un-l doubtedly restricted activities ! for the season. Player relationships.—During the season, and even I

I recently, there had been I publicity surrounding New (Zealand’s top players, O. ’Parun and B. E. Fairlie “We i reiterate that we enjoy good : relationships with these players. We had frank discussions with both players land we appreciate their thoughts and the difficulties iwhich face them in the ■I highly professional tennis II world.”