Council would ban S. Africa runners

Press, 19 May 1981, Page 1

Council would ban S. Africa runners

Sunday’s “Nike” City of Christchurch International Marathon will be able to use Queen Elizabeth JI Park facilities only if race organisers can assure the City Council . that no South African residents will compete. However, on an 18 -2 vote, the council voted last evening to waive Q.E. II Park hire . charges if that assurance -can be given, v . .1-. r -. The marathon’s, < ; :race director, Mr.’Rod 'Rutherford, said later that" 'no South African-runners-had-entered “to the best of our knowledge.”

There were no entrants from countries which might allow use of their passports, he said. . This would be confirmed today.

About 1900 runners will' compete, in the .race along the ' 1974 Commonwealth Games course, about 900 of . them in the full’..marathon and the others running half the .distance. Mr .Rutherford 1 said the Queen Elizabeth II stadium track would-be used at the start and*.finish of the race.

-Normal council -charges would-be $l2O for the sta-dium,.-$lO. for. the -function

room and $l5 for day use of the restaurant.

Cr D. C. Close raised the South African issue. “We don’t want the same deception this time as we had . at / the Veteran Games,” he said. Crs C. E. Manning and A. J;-Graham, who will be competitors.- on Sunday, said they, would withdraw if South Africans appeared in the race. Cr Close said that the City Council had been embarrassed by the -participation of South . Africans in the Veteran Games earlier this year.

“This is bringing poli-tics-into sport-again,” said Cr Helen Garrett. “It is so very wrong and so very unnecessary in' this council context.”

She. asked whether councillors would compete dn the marathon if citizens of the Soviet Union were, entrants. ■-?/./,/.

“If we. are-going to victimise one nation, we; might as well' bring others into it,” she said.-, '//.-f Crs Garrett and M. J. Glubb voted against the council’s stand.