Men's basketball a surprise choice

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33610, 12 August 1974, Page 1

Men's basketball a surprise choice

Men’s basketball, somewhat surprisingly, has been tentatively named as the fourth sport for the inaugural Next Zealand Games in Christchurch in January.

Athletics and swimming have been on the programme from the outset—and on Saturday the steering committee responsible for getting the venture started met to decide what other sports would be included.

It was decided to add two further sports and, predictably, weightlifting was the first chosen. Boxing had been next in favouritism, but the committee opted instead for men’s basketball, possibly because of a desire to bring in a new sport from those which featured at the Commonwealth Games. However, there is a catch i as far as men’s basketball is concerned. Before it is accepted, it must satisfy the Games organisers that it can work within a budget of $25,000, the maximum set for both the third and fourth sports. The New Zealand Men’s Basketball Association has undertaken to give an early answer as to whether it can run a tournament involving overseas teams without overstepping this budget. The association may possibly agree to meet from its own funds any costs in excess of $25,000.

Boxing men keen If men’s basketball does , drop out, then boxing will ( almost certainly take its place. Boxing officials are be- ; lieved now to be keener than ■ ever to come in. The president of the New Zealand Boxing Association (Mr J. Kent) said last evening that it was an involved situation, and he could make no further comment in the meantime. If men’s basketball remains, then the competition is likely to take the form of a four-nation tournament, the I competing countries being the Philippines, Australia, 1 Tahiti, and New Zealand. The two major sports, ath-; letics and swimming, have, each been given a budget oi i $150,000 and it seems likely, that each will occupy the full I four days of the festival, from January 23 to 26.

Permission given Permission has been given by the University of Canterbury authorities for accommodation blocks at Ham to be used to house the 500 or so competitors and officials expected at the Games. Mr H. C. Blazey, who on Saturday was appointed chairman of the committee to organise the Games, said yesterday that he was hopeful of permission also being given for the use of the Students’ Union building at Ham as the village head- i quarters and dining hall. The village for the Commonwealth Games was at 11am, and although much the 1 same blueprint would be used i it would be a village on a much smaller scale and without the same stringent secur-I ity measures, Mr Blazey said. An organising committee' was formed on Saturday and i will meet for the first time;

i or. August 22. Mr M. F. ■ Hunter was appointed vicei chairman, and the following i were named to head commit- : tees: Mr N. R. Searell (fin- • ance), Mr H. T. Dean (village • and catering), Mr J. E. Davies (tickets), Mr J. Guy (publicity), and Mr I. Ristrom (reception). Mr G. S. Brockett will sit on the committee as the representative of the Federation of Sport, Mr A. I. Cottrell as the representative of Commonwealth Games Promotion, which is putting money into the venture, and Mr L. W. Skerton will act as a liaison with the Department of Internal Affairs. Still to be appointed are transport and medical chairmen, two representatives from both athletics and swimming, and one from men’s basketball or boxing. Weightlifting’s delegate will be Mr B. Cameron, president of the sport’s national body. The executive committee will comprise Messrs Blazey, Hunter, Searell, and Mr A. W. Barrett, who will work full-time on the project as executive-director. Mr Blazey said the New: Zealand Games were likelyN

to cost about $350,000, of which about two-thirds was expected to be derived from ticket sales. The Government, had made a grant of $30,000. Television rights, sponsorship, and one or two national promotions, possibly in the form of raffles, should provide the rest of the money, Mr Blazey said.