Lance Cross in favour of delaying decision

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 38

Lance Cross in favour of delaying decision

PA Auckland Mr Lance Cross, chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Associations will this evening recommend that New Zealand defer a decision oif competing in the Moscow Olympics until May 20. At a special meeting of his association in Wellington to consider this question Mr Cross will report on the talks held by the executive of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne last month, when the boycott issue of the 1980 Games was closelv studied.

Mr Cross’s move to delay a decision is contrary to the attitude of Mr Tay Wilson, the New Zealand Olympic chef de mission for Moscow and. it is believed, all the New Zealand sports, apart from yachting. Track and field, for instance, has urged that a decision should be made at

this evening’s meeting to co'mpete at Moscow. Mr Cross, who was in Auckland yesterday to attend a meeting of the New Zealand Sports Foundation, said: “There is very great concern existing in western Europe regarding participation in the Olympic Games. “And the decision to be taken by the West German Olympic committee on May 15 is one which is going to have very far-reaching effects. Whatever West Germany decides to do will be the stand taken by the rest[ of western Europe. “Already 40 countries have declared their withdrawal from the Games, and if the majority of west European countries withdrew it would, ultimately become a Spartakiad of east Europe and African countries.” Mr Cross said seven African countries had also

withdrawn, including the strongest in track and field —• Kenya. He favoured delaying a decision until the normal monthly meeting of his association on May 20 — four days' before the deadline to replying to invitations to the, Moscow organising com-i mittee. i Preparations could still I continue with planning for] the Olympic team to com-[ pete' at Moscow while his associations awaited overseas decisions. I “They will really determine,” ' said Mr Cross, “whether they are the Olympics or whether they are not. The situation is no longer simply an issue of political ’ interference ■ in sport, which 1 have always opposed. “It has become a matter of grave' ‘international importance, and must, be looked at in this context.”