SIDELINES

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 46

SIDELINES

WE DO NOT profess to knowing much about the Sport of sumo wrestling, but a Reuter report on the Nagoya grand sumo tournament in Japan suggests that it is a good deal more than just a bit of rough ’n tumble. We were informed that grand champion Chiyonofuji easily beat the second-ranked champion, Kitao, in a play-off. Kitao had forced the play-off by shoving Chiyonofuji out of the ring in the last scheduled bout of the 15-day tournament. Chiyonofuji, obviously annoyed, responded by picking up his younger opponent and tossing him from the ring to score the seventeenth tournament victory of his professional career in Japan’s national sport. CANTERBURY’S LEADING smallbore rifle exponents will defend the Andrew and Faulkner Shield against other South Island association teams at the Bangor Street range on Saturday. Canterbury won the 10-man team contest at Gore last year and at least 18 of the 22 South Island associations have indicated they will be competing. AND SOME GOOD NEWS for the Christchurch Smallbore Association. It recently received word that it won the 1985 Commonwealth cities postal shoot title. Christchurch’s team of 30 scored 2917 in the event to win the championship for the third time. Results were sent from England, along with the medals for the winning team members. Christchurch competed in the 1986 event last week-end, and its entry will soon be on its way to England, where the scores are collated. LEADING PERFORMERS in this week’s British Open golf championship feature prominently in the list of top money winners on the European circuit. At the conclusion of the Open at Turnberry, Severiano Ballesteros, of Spain, who finished equal sixth, was well clear with £172,202. Gordon Brand sen. (second in the Open), lan Woosnam and Bernhard Langer (equal third) and Nick Faldo (fifth) are all placed in the top 10, which is, in order: Ballesteros, Howard Clark, Brand, Rodger Davis (Australia), Woosnam, Langer, Mark McNulty (South Africa), Faldo, Ronan Rafferty, Gordon Brand jun.

MICHEL PLATINI, the French soccer ace, has an interesting ambition once his playing days are over. Platini, who captained the French in the World Cup finals in Mexico last month, has stated he will only play soccer for one more year before retiring. He then intends to launch himself into an international antinarcotics programme. "I cannot do it alone, but will seek some help from an international organisation soon after I get back home,” said the three-times European player of the year.