Medal winning hopes boosted by huge grant

Press, 7 May 1981, Page 30

Medal winning hopes boosted by huge grant

A bonanza of almost $250,000 to boost New Zealand’s medal winning prospects at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane next year is to be dispensed by the New Zealand Sports Foundation.

This substantial outlay of funds to give the country’s top competitors realistic opportunities for preparation will bring the total amount of assistance provided by the foundation since its inception to $603,000. Details of grants totalling $241,130 to 28 competitors and six coaches from eight, sports were announced yesterday by the chairman of the foundation, Mr Graeme Davy, a former national sprint champion in athletics. “For the first time there will be an organised priority programme which centres on efforts to substantially improve the performances of those athletes judged, for a variety of reasons, to be the real medal prospects at Brisbane/’ he said. Mr Davy noted that most sports had adopted a “thoroughly professional approach” to the preparation of competitors, many operating on a two-stage basis with appropriate qualifying standards being required for the Brisbane mini-games in October. Most of the athletes named in the list are expected to compete at this meeting. The way will remain open for other competitors to qualify under the foundation’s programme by making significant improvement in performance in the next six months. And the deeds of the athletes assisted, under the scheme will be closely monitored by the chairman of the grants committee, Sir Ronald Scott, and the foundation’s executive director, Mr Keith Hancox.

Track and field will receive the biggest grant, of $46,980, of which $12,693 will be available this year. As in other sports, some of the ; money has been given a contingency tag, to provide > for other competitors should ' the need arise.

Those to receive assistance will be Mike O’Rourke, Mike Parker, Lorraine Moller, Kim Robertson, Terry Yaxley, and the “big three,” John Walker, Dick Quax and Rod Dixon. Cycling has gained a hefty $41,200, but that is only the start. Additional assistance for the outstanding medal prospects, Anthony Cuff and Michael Richards, and their coaches, will be considered by the foundation soon, indicating the esteem in which that body holds the two wheelmen. Other cyclists who will benefit are Eric McKenzie, Roger Sumich, Jack Swart, Graeme Miller, Stephen Cox and the seasoned road rider, Vern Hanaray. Two more coaches will be added. A total of $33,050 has been earmarked for boxing, and $21,050 of this will be available this year. Assistance will be available to Apelu loane, two Nelson competitors, Barry Galbraith and Alan McNamara, and a coach, Alan Scaife. The money will enable this group to travel twice to the United States AAU boxing camp in Colorado Springs before the Games. Four young badminton players will gain assistance from the $30,000 voted to their sport. The quartet consists of Graham Robson, Phillip Horne, Toni Whittaker and Karen Phillips, all of Auckland. The badminton federation intends to choose a squad of eight to 10 players to live and train together in Auckland for the next 18 months. Archery has been awarded $24,900, and those to benefit will be Neroli Fairhall, of Christchurch, and Anne Shurrock, of Ashburton. Some assistance will also be provided to Mr D. Henshaw, of Christchurch, who will act as coach and assistant. Both

women will contest the world championships in Rome as well as the United States and Canadian nationals. Wrestling will receive $25,700 and the three competitors named for assistance are Graham Hawkins, Ken Reinsford and Nigel Sargent, who also props for the Wairarapa-Bush rugby team. A coach will be added. There will also be $25,000 for shooting, and a $5OOO grant has been made to the Commonwealth skeet champion, John Woolley, formerly of Christchurch, to enable him to travel to Europe for two training schools and six international competitions. Surprisingly, swimming and diving has rated only $20,320, and only five competitors have been named. They are the swimmers, Monique Rodahl, Ursula Cross and Megan Tohill, and two divers, Ann Fargher and Mark Graham.