Sports policy ‘acceptable’

Press, 9 November 1983, Page 50

Sports policy ‘acceptable’

PA Canberra Australia’s new policy on sports contacts with South Africa was basically acceptable but a lot would depend on how it was implemented, said the Nigerian High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Olu Sanu. Mr Sanu was speaking after a meeting in Canberra between heads of Mission of the Commonwealth African countries, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, the Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hayden. In an aide memoire pre-

sentea to the Government, the High Commissioners said they hoped care would be taken to avoid misinterpretation of the policy with regard to the amateur and professional status of sportsmen and women from South Africa. The new policy, and a decision to allow representatives of the African National Congress and the South West Africa People’s Organisation to function in Australia, was announced by Mr Hayden recently. Under the policy, individual amateur sportsmen

and women from South Africa will be denied entry to Australia. Professionals will be allowed in but only if they are not representatives of their country. South African sports teams will be banned, Australians will be discouraged from competing in South Africa, and third country

contacts in which Australians play against South Africa will be opposed. The aide memoire said there was no doubt that many African and Third World Commonwealth countries would be heartened "by this significant strengthening of Australia’s antiapartheid position.”