LETTER BOX

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 22

LETTER BOX

ICaiikin Cup hockey Sir. — In fairness to the players and coach of the Christchurch Boys’ High School hockey team. I should like to point out inaccuracies in “The Press’’ report on Friday. It was Auckland Grammar, not Wellington College, which shared rhe Rankin Cup with C.B.H.S. in 1976. Second, in the final between Palmerston North and Christchurch boys’ high schools, both sides mounted s’rong attacks, the difference being that Palmerston used the spectacular long through-hit while Christchurch built up its attack slowly with intelligent passing and close ball control. It was significant f hat the tournament team selector afterwards commented that the team which practised close ball control emerged victorious. Palmerston scored first from a penalty comer, Christchurch equalised, also from a penalty

corner, and then followed up with a successful penalty stroke, all scored in the first half. Notwithstanding occasional lapses in concentration. the Christchurch defence was always secure, never desperate. Also, amongst competing schools. the Rankin Cup. not the India Shield, is considered the symbol of secondary schoolboys’ hockey supremacy. — Yours etc., M. SHILLITO The reference to the symbol of schools’ supremacy came from a Pre-s Association report. — Sports Editor. Reply A. R. SMITH. — We apologise for not covering every day’s play from that fairly remote area, and are attempting to rectify the omissions.

Schoolboy dropped

Sir, — It astounds me that a New Zealand representative basketballer can be so unfeeling as to drop a schoolboy from a national side. The facts of the dropping of Peter Ward from the New Zealand secondary schoolboys’ basketball team seem quite clear: the boy was late because he had a job of work to do. A milk round must involve an early arising and not a little physical effort, yet he willingly undertook the extra effort involved of rushing to the trials. It seems to me he must be a dedicated young man in all respects, but has been harshly and unfairly penalised. I hope Peter Schmidt is not a schoolteacher because he seems to have little sympathy

for the feelings of a teenager and dedicated young sportsman — Yours etc., S. ANTHONY. Sir. — I attended the entire secondary schoolboys’ basketball tournament in Christchurch last week, through my interest in one of the teams competing — not Burnside High School, incidentally. There can be no question that P. J. Ward was the outstanding player, and the outstanding sportsman at the tournament. There was a lot of rough play, some of it not penalised, and very questionable sportsmanship, but P. J. was an outstanding exception. He consistently applauded good plat by an opponent or member of another team, something not seen from. partic u 1 a r I y , the two finalists. Also. I think it unfair that Mr Schmidt, the coach of the team he seeded -first for the tournament, should then select and coach the national side, — Yours etc., M. GERARD.