Second N.Z. Games in 1977 mooted

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33803, 27 March 1975, Page 20

Second N.Z. Games in 1977 mooted

A second New Zealand Games will be held in Christchurch in January. 1977—subject to an assurance of Government financial support.

A motion to this effect was passed unanimously at a meeting last evening of the organising committee for the first New Zealand Games, this year.

Representatives of the four sports — athletics, swimming, weightlifting and men’s basketball — which constituted this year’s programme all gave their wholehearted support for a second games and said they would be prepared to begin work immediately. The support subcommittees, too, all expressed a keen desire to be involved again. Very few changes in personnel are likely. Support Before the vote the chairman (Mr H. C. Blazey) said that more Government support this year would have to be forthcoming before a second games could be approved. i He spoke of a meeting he ' had had in Wellington yesteriday with members of the [Council for Sport and j Recreation and said he was I fairly confident that this I council’s support could be [counted on. The committee agreed to meet again soon, after Mr Blazey had had an opportunity to talk with the Minister of Sport (Mr Walding), and in the meantime it was decided to proceed with preliminary planning. It was felt that the next games should be about a week earlier than they were this year, the likely dates being Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 17. The festival will be increased by one day, to four days. Loss I After the decision was Taken to hold a second games, two further motions were passed. One was that other New Zealand cities be advised of the decision and their help be sought in stag-

:ing the third games in 1979; and, the other, was for the national bodies of all sports affiliated to the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association to be Sled gramme. The financial report noted

a loss of about $40,000 on this year’s games, the exact figure being unknown until some items of expenditure and income are known. Th e i oss was attributed to c ’ cket sales bei "S s ™’ ooo )ess an expected. This was blamed on television.