SIDELINES

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 10

SIDELINES

TENNIS FOLLOWERS in Britain have more to cry about than their New Zealand counterparts. New Zealand’s recent Davis Cup defeat by Ecuador dropped it out of the top 16 and placed it among the teams which have to progress through zone qualifying rounds. Britain slipped from the elite group when it was beaten by Yugoslavia, 4-1, at Eastbourne and that was the first time for 84 years it had dropped to the low ranks. It will now have to battle its way through the European qualifying rounds against such teams as Finland, Luxemburg and Morocco before it gets another chance in the Davis Cup competition. EVERY YEAR the number of New Zealand rugby players who spend their summers playing overseas increases. Last week the New Zealand Rugby Union executive gave clearances to six players to spend the 1984-85 summer playing overseas. Mike O’Leary (Wellington) will play in England, Andy Larsen (Wellington) will play in the United States, Craig Loach and R. Leenards (both Manawatu) will play in England, Tom Fern (Wanganui) will play in Italy . and H. Hirst (Waikato) will play in France. HANIF KHAN, the brilliant Pakistan inside-left, has retired from international hockey. Khan won a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics this year, and a bronze at Montreal in 1976. He was also a member of the team that won the World Cup in Bombay in 1982. In his nine , year career Khan scored 106 goals in 132 matches. Khan received a “pride of performance” award from President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, an appreciation of his contribution to the national team, after Pakistan won the gold medal in Los Angeles. TELEVISION can work wonders, even to the extent of transforming room temperature. Journalists attending Ross Norman’s press conference after his New Zealand Open squash win at Henderson last week-end were a little puzzled when he said the “very hot" conditions had suited him and affected his opponent, Chris Dittmar, of Australia. Heavy rain was pelting down on the roof of the court and the feet of spectators in the gallery were like blocks of ice. But on the court, it seemed, things were different, all because of the heat generated by the array of television lights mounted overhead.

THE TINWALD rider, Neil Wylie, was awarded the New Zealand Professional Cycling Association’s “cyclist of the year” award at the annual conference recently. Wylie, who took the fastest time in the Timaru-to-Christchurch race last week-end, also won the National title earlier in the year. He has taken time honours in most of his races. The Auckland-based Barney McCarthy, the veterans champion, won the “sportsman of the year” award and Peter Smith was named “official of the year.”

WALLY LEWIS, who led Australia to victory against Great Britain, Brisbane to its National Panasonic Cup success, and Queensland to beat New South Wales in the State of Origin series, last Sunday completed a memorable rugby league season by guiding WynnumManly to a record-breaking win in the Brisbane club grand final. Wynnum-Manly scored eight tries, and Lewis had a hand in five of them, in thrashing Souths, 42-8. Two other present internationals, Gene Miles and Greg Dowling, shared in Wynnum-Manly’s win at the expense of their test team-mate, Mai Meninga, who was the Souths captain.