Yugoslavs to stay

Press, 10 January 1981, Page 1

Yugoslavs to stay

Members of the Yugoslav contingent attending the World Veteran Games in Christchurch have satisfied themselves that everything possible has been done by the organising committee to ensure that South Africa is not represented at the Games. '■ * ’ , ' ■ The group, led by Mr Nikoli Turk.. says that it Will'continue to compete in the. rest of the meeting as originally planned. A message received on Thursday through the Yugoslav Embassy in Wellington, is believed to have asked the Yugoslav athletes to consider withdrawing in protest against the alleged attendance of South Africans at the Games under, the guise of being representatives ' of other countries. The request ’ s believed to- have come from the 'Yugoslav.. Government, which opposes apartheid.

The University of Canterbury' Students’ Association has banned South African competitors at the Games from using its facilities at Ham although it admits that it has no way of policing such a ban. The president of the association, Ms Katrina Amos, said yesterday, that notices had been posted at the social facilities at Ham saying the association would not admit residents of South Africa and a leaflet had been distributed giving the reasons for the ban. The chairman of the Games Organising Committee, Mr J. K. Macdonald, had told the association that he would tell South African residents attending the games not to use the facilities. The association could rely only on the South African residents respecting its wishes.