Canada almost certain to compete at Games

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 8

Canada almost certain to compete at Games

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KEVIN TUTTY

in Edinburgh

Fears that the Canadian team might withdraw from the thirteenth Commonwealth Games, throwing the competition into chaos, were dispelled by the Canadian team manager, Mr Jim Daly, at a press conference in the Games village yesterday morning. Mr Daly gave a “categorical” assurance that the Canadian team of about 400 would compete at the Games in spite of any reasons the Canadian Sports Minister, Mr Otto Jelenik, would present to the team later in the day. “We will listen courteously to what he has to say, take a vote among the team management, and I am sure that vote will be to stay at the Games.”

Mr Daly denied that

most of the Canadian competitors had wanted to return home.

“No-one has approached me about returning home but they know that if they want to they can at any time,” he said.

“We have heard a lot of arguments in the last few weeks about why we should go home and why we should stay,” said Mr Daly. Mr Daly said the team felt no pressure on it to withdraw and that it had not had any dialogue with politicians. “We have been too busy preparing for the Games to worry about the boycott.”

The Canadian Government could not force the team to withdraw even though it had provided financial assistance by covering the travel costs of the team.

Asked what the Government could do to the team and officials if they rejected Government requests to join the boycott, Mr Daly said, “I will have to justify everything in my case when I pass through customs.”

Mr Daly said that seven Canadian cities would enter the race for the nomination to hold the 1994 Commonwealth Games. The Canadian Government had promised sCanso million towards the facilities for the successful city and the city itself would have to match that amount.

There was unlikely to be a negative reaction to the team because it had decided to stay in Edinburgh. In 1980 when the Canadian team withdrew from the Olympic Games in Moscow there was a “terrible public outcry,” Mr Daly said.