Resignation a surprise

Press, 21 May 1982, Page 5

Resignation a surprise

PA Wellington Mr George Craig’s shock resignation as secretary of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association was as big a surprise to him as anyone. Mr Craig, secretary for the last 30 years, dropped a bombshell on Tuesday evening by announcing his resignation during a particularly fiery meeting. He refused to give reasons for his resignation offer yesterday but it was made after the meeting discussed the stance taken by the association ■at a Commonwealth Games Federation meeting in London.

The London meeting had decided not to boycott New Zealand from the Brisbane Commonwealth Games because of the Springbok rugby tour last year. Mr Craig said yesterday

that before the meeting he had not even considered such a move.

“It was something that just happened at the meeting. At present my resignation is tabled, though it has not been accepted yet,” he said. Mr Craig said he would probably attend the next association meeting on June--28, when as well as normal business the balance of the New Zealand team for the Brisbane games would be confirmed. Mr Craig resigned and refused to retract it when the association chairman, Mr Roy Dutton, asked him to do so. Mr Dutton said yesterday that if the resignation stood it would be a big loss to the association. “When George wouldn’t retract his resignation I asked

him to sleep on it. I haven’t heard anything further from him yet,” he said. A meeting of senior N.Z.O.C.G.A. executive members was held before the London meeting to anticipate some of the problems that could arise there, and Tuesday evening’s row began over the constitution of that meeting. The dispute started when the cycling representative, Mrs Barbara Levido, asked who qualified as the "senior executive members” listed on the April 21 meeting’s agenda.

• About six executive members had been there, and Mr Dutton chaired it. Mr Dutton said the meeting had also wanted to “discipline” him and soon after he said this Mr Craig offered to resign, saying this was not the meeting’s purpose.