Sport briefly

Press, 4 January 1980, Page 18

Sport briefly

Olympic boycott decried

NZPA London Olympic officials have lined up against Western politicians who are demanding a boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow this July to protest against Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Athletes come first, and in no way should be prevented from competing in international competition by political, racial or religious discrimination, said Lord Killanin, the president of the 1.0. C.

Sports officials from Beld gium, Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, West Germany and the United States lined up with him in opposing the boycott call. Lord Killanin’s plea, in a statement issued from 1.0. C. headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, came less than 24 hours after N.A.T.O. nations, meeting in Brussels, discussed a possible boycott which reportedly was suggested by a West German representative.

Veterans’ tennis hopes

The organisers of the Skellerup Canterbury veterans’ tennis tournament hope to press ahead with the event today in spite of the unseasonal weather. The big storm yesterday probably ruled out grass court play at Wilding Park for at least the first half of the tournament, but there

are plans to use the porous ■ courts as soon as the weath- : er clears. : The contest is scheduled : to extend over three days, but , entries are not so big r this year arid the organisers > would not be seriously : inconvenienced if they, lost : part or all of today’s playing j time. '

Bowls triples postponed

The outcome of the Christchurch Bowling Centre’s New Year triples tournament will not be decided until later in the season. . ’’ . Section play was. to have begun yesterday and continued today, but heavy rain left ? greens unplayable; and - a postponement was necessary. It is hoped to start the

tournament tomorrow with four rounds' of . section play and a : time ' limit' of two hours. Players are to report to their scheduled firsfday greens. Winners of three, or four matches will qualify for the four rounds of post-section play on. /Sunday, and the event is to be completed on a suitable date later in the season. . - ■■ ?

Golf changes in May

A number of significant changes to tire golf rules, adopted by the Royal and Ancient Club, St Andrews, and the United States Golf Association, which came into effect from the start of 1980, will not be introduced to New Zealand until May 1. Some of the main alterations appeared on the back page of “The Press” yesterday. Logistics is the simple explanation as to why the introduction of the rules has been delayed to that date, said the Canterbury delegate

on the national association’s council (Mr. G. Pl Walker), yesterday. . The national association is having a reprint of the rule book and its amendments, Mr Walker said that the consignment, weighing about six tonnes, was expected to arrive in New Zealand in March and would then have to be distributed -to all associations. At the last council meeting, it was decided to delay implementing the rule changes to May - 1 to allow the books to be fully distributed. Mr Walker said.

Day’s play abandoned

.-• The representative cricket match' between Suburban and Southland was one of many sporting casualites of the wet weather in Christchurch yesterday.

Play was abandoned* without. a ball being bowled on the second day. The match was drawn, Southland having scored 175 on Wednesday, before taking two Suburban wickets for nine runs.

Cricket washed ont

Torrential rain and high winds - in' Christchurch yesterday washed out play in .the .Hallyburton-Johnstone national women’s cricket tournament, and there is a chance that the rest of the contest may be cancelled as well. Porritt Park, the tourna-

rnent venue and. a ground well-known in Christchurch for flooding, was. sodden yesterday after heavy overnight rain. Pools of water littered the oval, and it was very unlikely that the waterlogged wickets would be played on today, the first day of the fifth round.