Amateur wrestling wants to take fall out of critics

Press, 11 April 1984, Page 42

Amateur wrestling wants to take fall out of critics

A lack of understanding of Olympic-style amateur wrestling is keeping the sport pinned to the mat according to a New Zealand selector, Mr Kevan McLaughlan, of Rangiora.

Mr McLaughlan, the South Island member on the three-man national selection panel, is also a former executive member of the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union. He is secretary of the Canterbury body and a prominent coach and competitor. The confusion which arises between amateur and professional wrestling riles Mr McLaughlan. “We have nothing to do with professional wrestling, we are not remotely associated. If we were asked to provide amateur wrestlers for any of their promotion tournaments we would refuse to do so,” he said.

So it was an infuriated Mr McLaughlan who listened to Steve Rickard, a leading figure in profes-

sional wrestling promotion, say on radio that he could not see any wrestlers being nominated for the Olympic Games. “He was trying to align with amateur wrestling, yet he has no credibility with us.” In fact, two wrestlers have been nominated for Los Angeles — Ken Reinsfield, of Auckland, and Graeme Hawkins, of Wellington. Mr McLaughlan feels that Olympic-style. wrestling is not getting a fair go in New Zealand, especially by the news media. He is particularly annoyed at the unqualified comments made and misinformed articles written about the sport. “On television clips of Commonwealth sports used in commercials, wrestling is not shown, and in a national weekly magazine an article on our wrestling was illustrated by two professional wrestlers.” These are just some of many examples which Mr McLaughlan can relate

which show his sport is used indiscriminately. “We have people willing to help, willing to explain, but we are never asked.” Four of the six New Zealand wrestlers at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games won medals, yet Mr McLaughlan said that he understood Television New Zealand was interested only in giving limited coverage of the bouts. “Wrestling people from other countries were incredulous at this situation; they knew we were going for gold. Television had a change of heart and all the New Zealanders’ bouts were shown in the end.” Mr McLaughlan said that New Zealand rated third among Commonwealth countries in wrestling, a little behind India, which was traditionally strong, and Canada, which was number one. It ranked higher than England, which had gone to much expense sending wrestlers to training camps in West Germany before the Commonwealth Games, and Australia. Mr McLaughlan said that wrestling was one of the first sports to have all seats sold for sessions at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and that it was listed as a category A sport for ticketing purposes at

this year’s Los Angeles Olympic Games. The late inclusion of bowls at wrestling’s expense in the 10 sports to be submitted by Auckland in its bid to hold the 1990 Commonwealth Games came as a bad fall for wrestling administrators and competitors. “We had been led to believe, by Joe McMenamin (the chairman of the Auckland promoting committee), that wrestling would be included. “He emphatically said wrestling was in, but when pressure went on because bowls had been left out, he supported bowls.” Mr McLaughlan said that wrestling had been on the Games programme since their inception and the sport had a good record in winning medals. “Decisions are made by people who have never seen wrestling tournaments, who are not aware what it is all about. “Wrestling did not want to get into arguments about sports versus sports because we respect all other sports. But we have facts and figures to show why wrestling should be included, and in hindsight we should have made a bigger fuss to try to get back in.” The time had arrived, Mr McLaughlan said, for someone to speak out on behalf of the amateur wrestlers. Although wrestling imposes its own tight selection standards, the sport has not found much favour with the New Zealand Sports Foundation when it allocates funds to assist top sportsmen. “We have had only minimal assistance from the grants. We are treated as a minor sport, our applications are cut back and that means the wrestlers just behind the top bracket do not get the chance to get a foot on a rung of the ladder except at their own expense.”

To get top competition, many wrestlers do go overseas at their own expense, sometimes helped by financial backing from clubs. Cultural exchanges between junior teams from the United States and New Zealand have been taking place for many years, and a senior team left for Japan at the week-end. The possibility of sending junior wrestlers to either Japan or Korea is being investigated. Mr McLaughlan said that Olympic-style wrestling was a 'highly skilled sport and was among the hardest and fastest. A survey done overseas placed it in the top bracket of the most physically demanding sports. It incorporated strength, endurance and flexibility and was the only sport which involved the use of every muscle in the body. The sport has increased in popularity, especially at high school level. The intercollegiate tournament is the biggest of the year and about 300 wrestlers are expected at this year’s event. New rules have been introduced which prevent a wrestler from becoming passive. A competitor ahead on points can still be disqualified for not wrestling. Wrestlers are not allowed to avoid contact and they must always be attacking. A grading system, akin to the awarding of coloured belts in martial arts, allows everyone to start at a level which involves no competition, and they can progress through the grades at their own pace. A recent break-through is the inclusion of wrestling as an option for students pursuing physical education courses at the University of Otago. Females have shown much interest as well, and many hold top key positions as officials, being highly qualified referees.

BOB SCHUMACHER