U.N. blacklist likely to be extended

Press, 28 October 1981, Page 2

U.N. blacklist likely to be extended

From

KEN COATES,

in London The names of more New Zealanders .are likely to be considered for inclusion on the United Nations blacklist of sportsmen who have collaborated with apartheid sport in South Africa. The chairman of the United Nations sub-commit-tee on the implementation of sanctions against South Africa, Mr V. Gbeho, of Ghana, announced on Monday plans to bring the list up to date next month. He said : there were also plans to compile a blacklist of entertainers, promoters, and organisations which deliberately encouraged cultural contact with South Africa. There are two New Zea-

land sports which could come under scrutiny in New York when the list of sportsmen is updated — polo and squash. It has been reported in the “Rand Daily Mail” and other South 'African newspapers that a New Zealand polo team toured South Africa in August. It consisted of John Walker, Stuart Mackenzie, Robbie Saunders, and Chris Jones. There were also reports published in South Africa of two New Zealand squash players, Bruce Brownlee and Ross Norman, taking part in several tournaments in April and May in South Africa, with squash players from Britain and Australia. Asked whether these New Zealanders would be put on the blacklist, Mr Gbeho would neither confirm nor deny the suggestion. No indication was given at his press conference that any of the five New Zealand sports administrators already oh the blacklist would be removed.

They are the leading rugby administrators, Messrs Jim Fraser, Cecil Blazey, and Ron Don; the former chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council, Mr Walter Hadlee; and John Macdonald, organiser of the World Veteran games in Christchurch this year. There has been criticism of the U.N. Special Committee Against Apartheid, which compiled the blacklists on the grounds that it is comprised of Third World and Communist countries, who make decisions without reference to national sports bodies. However, Mr Gbeho said the committee simply published a list, and it was up to governments to take what action they deemed fit concerning people on it. He appealed to everybody to cease immediately sports or cultural contact with South Africa, and said if they did so, they would be immediately dropped from the list.