Wrestling hopes high

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 36

Wrestling hopes high

The Canterbury wrestling coach, Mr John Beattie, believes his nine-strong team can return from the national championships in Wanganui with at least five titles. Mr Beattie, with his team of three senior wrestlers and six juniors, leaves Christchurch this morning for the three-day championships. Two of the senior team members have had overseas experience. lan Tuuta (62kg) wrestled in Hungary late last year, while Chris Brass (82kg) fought in Las Vegas.

The other senior, Murray Allen, is a former national title-holder, and will contest the 82kg division. None of the six juniors has wrestled overseas, but both Wayne Twenion (57kg) and Tony Francis (48kg) have been to previous championships. Mr Beattie thinks this will help the four other juniors who are making their national wrestling debuts — Adrienne Moth (52kg), Brian Smith (67kg), Charlie Teibira (74kg), and Dennis Andrew (82kg).

Mr Beattie was the coach of the New Zealand junior wrestling team at the world championships in Chicago last year, and in 1975 he took a senior team to Australia. He has been coaching for six years. Messrs John Pullman and Chris Smith will manage the team. The wrestlers who will be representing New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton later this year will use the national championships as a warm-up for the Commonwealth contest.