N.Z. karate team plans to compete in South Africa

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 2

N.Z. karate team plans to compete in South Africa

PA Wellington A New Zealand represen-. tative karate team plans to go to South Africa for an international competition. The Squth Pacific Rembuden Institute, which runs the Goju form of karate in New Zealand, has received an invitation from its South African counterpart to compete later this year. The invitation gave the Rembuden Institute two op-

tions: to go to South Africa for a friendly competition, with no financial assistance from the South Africans, or to go to South Africa as a New Zealand representative team and receive financial support from the South African Government. The director of the institute (Mr John Jarvis), said yesterday it planned to accept the offer of sending a New Zealand team. “The situation at the moment is that we are going, unless there are insufficient members prepared to go, but at this stage it looks as if we will have no problem with numbers,” said Mr Jarvis. Trials for the team have already been held, and a list of about 10 drawn up. from which five will be chosen. Mr Jarvis intends to make the tour as manager-coach. He has travelled overseas four times with New Zealand karate teams in the last four years. Mr Jarvis said the institute, which has about 2000 members in New Zealand did not want to, "upset too many apple carts,” by going as a New Zealand team. “We would much prefer to go as individuals, but we come up against a financial] hurdle, he said. Mr Jarvis said the in-1 stitute discussed the inivitation at a meeting. “Wei

decided that we would like , to go, that we want to go, : and that we do not see any ■ reason why we should not i go,” he said. i “We realise that we are I going against the Gleneagles i Agreement and that certain problems might arise for • New Zealand as a result of our trip," he said. > “But we had to weigh that t against the opportunity to play against the best in the ■ world — South Africa is the , strongest country in the world — and the fact that ■ they are offering us finan- ‘ cial support,” said Mr Jarvis. “We are not being unreasonable. We see the Glen- ■ eagles Agreement being ; blatantly flouted by other i countries. New Zealand gets picked on because it is only . a small country. “This whole thing is hypo- ; critical — most Black coun- - tries trade with South Africa,” Mr Jarvis said. Mr Jarvis said that even if the institute turned down ; the invitation, it could be directed to attend by the ; parent body in Japan, ’the • International Okinawa Goju 1 Association. The proposed contest is > part of a world-wide play- . off series, with the finals set I ] down for Tokyo. 1 The chairman of the Halt I All Racist Tours Organisation (Mr Trevor Richards) lhas condemned the tour.

| H.A.R.T. would write to [the karate group and ask to meet it to discuss the issue, he said. The Government would also be approached for help in persuading the group not to go.

It was an increasing South African ploy to pay overseas teams to play against them, Mr Richards said. “New Zealand clubs are generally poor and are isolated geographically, and so they find offers like this too difficult to resist,” he said. Mr Richards said it was untrue that New Zealand was being “picked on” because of its size.

“Being ‘picked’ has nothing to do with size, it depends on political attitude,” he said. The French had also been “picked on” over their rugby interest in South Africa. The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys) will try Ito dissuade the team from competing in South Africa, Mr Taiboys said last evening he would write to the team to explain the full implications of the Gleneagles Agreement on sports contact with South Africa.

“1 hope that the karate team can be persuaded to reconsider its proposal,” said Mr Taiboys.