Task ‘hopeless’

Press, 28 July 1986, Page 6

Task ‘hopeless’

NZPA staff correspondent Edinburgh Commonwealth Games Federation members face a hopeless task in trying to guarantee Auckland will not be boycotted in 1990, according to the top New Zealand official, Roy Dutton. Speaking before the federation met in Edinburgh today, Mr Dutton, chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, said: “I can’t think of any measures that will be watertight, because we need a commitment from Governments, not sporting associations.” Instead Auckland may have to look to contingency plans like being ready to invite non-Commonwealth countries such as China and Japan, Mr Dutton said.

The federation, the international governing body of the Games, was expected to canvass ways of countering future boycotts. The last-min-ute withdrawal of 32 territories , has decimated the Edinburgh Games programme. Australia has promoted a suggestion that nations which withdraw from a Games within six months of the opening ceremony should be ruled out of the next sporting festival in four years. Mr Dutton said that was the type of proposal he favoured. But - ;New Zealand, anxious to avoid offending any country and so jeopardise Auckland, was trying to steer clear of taking a lead in the issue. . “We hope it will come spontaneously from other countries. If it doesn’t we will have to speak up.”