Games boycott on summit agenda

Press, 14 March 1977, Page 1

Games boycott on summit agenda

NZPA-Reuter Ottawa The Canadian Prime Minister (Mr Trudeau) and the British Prime Minister (Mr Callaghan) yesterday discussed a threatened boycott by African countries of next year’s Commonwealth Games at Edmonton because of New Zealand sports ties with South Africa. Canadian officials afterwards told reporters that they expected the matter would have to be raised at the Commonwealth summit conference in London in June, although Canada had hoped to avoid airing the dispute there. Canada is worried that an African boycott would wreck, the Games, on which it is spending about SISM in construction and other costs. Asked at a press confer-

ence yesterday if Mr Trudeau had raised the matter with him, Mr Callaghan replied: “Yes, we discussed this. Obviously it is a very worrying matter. We hope it can be solved. If not, it will be discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London.” Canada, particularly Mr Trudeau himself, is believed to be making a major diplomatic effort to end the African boycott. Asked what form dialogue would take, officials said: “All sorts of forms. Any form that we can think of. We are trying very strongly on this.” Most African countries boycotted last year’s Olympic Games at Montreal because of the presence of New Zealand athletes. The New Zealand rugby team had just resumed matches with South Africa

and was touring there at the time. The African boycott is still in effect, and African sports authorities widened it at a recent meeting to include any country that plays international matches with South Africa. The Canadian Minister of External Affairs (Mr Don Jamieson) has said there may be a way to hold the Commonwealth Games without an African boycott. He said he had been in touch with a number of countries to find the precise meaning of a recent decision of the Organisation of African Unity which appeared to strengthen the possibility of a boycott. He gave no indication who had given him information that might be a ground for optimism, but presumably it came after overtures to African countries.