S. Africa athlete explains

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 6

S. Africa athlete explains

A South African woman who competed in the World Veteran Games in Christchurch in January has written to “The Press’” to clarify her position as a controversial participant' in the Games. Mrs Anne McKenzie, of Pinelands. South Africa, says in her letter that she would like to correct a wrong impression created by subsequent publicity. She won several gold medals at the Games! Her achievements were reported in the “South African Digest,” which extracts from various newpapers sports re-*

suits of interest to South Africans. In no way did this mean that the South African Government had anything to do .with her participation in the . Games, Mrs McKenzie wrote. “I give you my word that when I came to New Zealand not a single person in this qountry — except my husbarid, two sons, and Dr Dannie Burger — knew of my plans,” she says. , “My husband personally paid my airfare and hotel accommodation out of our own savings and it cost him well over $3OOO. I was not

h c given 1c in help from anyone." a Mrs McKenzie says she - was impressed by the genuo ine friendliness shown to her 3 by everyone concerned with . . the Games in New Zealand. “I did, however, decide . : that I do not want to com- , pete internationally any ’• more,” she writes. “My only reason for this is '■: that I felt unhappy that I was part of the cause of so much disruption and incon- ■ venience during the Games, [ after the organising commit- • tee had worked so hard to i make the event such a success.”