Moscow Olympics

Press, 23 April 1980, Page 20

Moscow Olympics

Sir, — I am greatly amused by the silence of the New Zealand Hockey Association concerning its commitment to sending a team to the Olympic Games. The hockey movement must be admired for being one of the few bodies that does not compete against South Africa because of that nation’s racist policies, yet upon analysis perhaps this is because hockey is not as prestigious a sport in South Africa compared with its standing in other countries. My source of mirth is that the invasion of an independent nation and the vicious subjugation of its people is so trivia] that the question of playing sport in the Soviet Union is not even equated with the politics of the subjugation of the blacks in South Africa. — Yours, etc., S. YORKE. April 21, 1980.

Sir, — Unlike in Kampuchea; the legitimacy of the Afghanistan Government is not in question. The U.S.S.R. honoured its treaty obligations with that Government when assistance was requested and this is the prerogative of those countries. Describing the Soviet action as an invasion is no more than an unproven assertion and an Olympic boycott is surely not justified on such questionable grounds, particularly when it is spearheaded by a Government which “tried to lay the groundwork for a military coup in Iran”, (without invitation) but desisted only because success was unlikely (“The Press,” April 21)). The Olympics are one of the greatest factors for world peace and friendship which would be the main loser rather than the U.S.S.R. if a boycott were effective and Mr Carter, instead of fame for leading a boycott of the Moscow Olympics could become infamous for sabotag-

ing peace and friendship. Your editorial of April. 21 could bring you equal infamy. —Yours, etc., A. J. COX. April 21, 1980. Sir, — You printed the text of a letter from, the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (April 18). Its purpose is to present a tour of New Zealand by the Springboks in 1981. Our Government will not condone the policies of the South African Government: a highly moral attitude. You printed in the same issue, under the headline “Ruthlessness growing in Afghanistan,” an account, pf horrifying atrocities committed or aided by the Russian invaders, and under “Gunships in Afghanistan,” an account of the devastating use by the Russians of armed helicopters. In spite of all this and more the Minister has adopted no such high moral tone against sport with ■Russia. The Government attitude towards our Olympics Association can be fairly summarised as “do as you think best, we will not try to influence your decision whether to go to Moscow in any way.” Moral hypocrisy is having a field day. — Yours, etc., F. ROBINSON. April 18. 1980.