Alwyn Riggs assistant coach of N.Z. hockey team

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 29

Alwyn Riggs assistant coach of N.Z. hockey team

By

KEVIN TUTTY

in Wellington < Alwyn Riggs, of Auckland, has been appointed assistant-coach of the New Zealand hockey.: team to play in a sixnation tournament .'in Lucknow, India, in January. $$ Mr Riggs, who joined the three-man New Zealand selection panel this year, will not necessarily be the man to replace the incumbent coach, Trevor. Blake, who will step aside after the tour to India. Mr Blake’s appointment was to have taken him. through to the 1988 Olym-' pics, but after New Zea- , land’s ejection from the: Seoul Olympics, Mr Blake has decided to step down to allow a new coach to plan the national team’s development for the next three years. The appointment of the assistant-coach was announced at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association yesterday by the chairman of the association’s management committee, Dr Bruce Penfold. It was made On a strong recommendation from delegates at the meeting.

; The recommendation arose from. a. discussion held ■in committee at the . meeting- .-.- Delegates'- agreed ; to move into- committee to discuss'd motion from'the ?< .. WeHlngtbh -I 'Hockey: Mr Blake and. Mr Ray Ganda of Christchurch : respectively? —be - ;-fesfe; • chided; ;i '-o When the delegates . moved hack . into open . meeting; Mr Coulter made b a brief statement saying ,’ that the meeting had ek- • : pressed unanimous. sup- : port for. the appointments / of Mr Blake and tMr u •Ganda/ • The management cmn-/ J mittee pf the association Met on Saturday evening andwhentheanrwal meeting resumed yester/, day morning Dr Penfold •< issued' a statement .an-. ' nouncing the appointment of Mr-, Riggs. Mrs .Jenny Granville of . Whangarel was .awarded the Pakistan Trophy :/at the annual meeting. It is presented to the person who has contributed most to the sport at national level during the year.

Mrs Granville is the secretary of the Northland Hockey Association, and the first woman to win the trophy. Two of the many activities she Was involved with during the year Were organising idti. Olympic Solidarity J coaching seminar, and the national •'< men’s tournament In September. ' Mr. ; Coulter announced that Postßank will again sponsor men’s hockey in 1988, ’ the third year of a three-year undertaking to support the sport The amoupt of sponsorship'was pot revealed except tbat. it is an increase on the $60,000 provided last yeah The meeting selected 'three people for the steering. - coitimittee which will oversee the amalgamation ofthe men’s and women’s association i? The three were: Dr Penfold (Christchurch), David Appleby (Auckland) and Graydon Miskimmin (Wellington). They will join Chlca : Gilmer (Hamilton), Ann , Sutherland (Christchurch) K and Rosemary O’Brien (Wellington) from thW.f New Zealand Women’s « Hockey Association;, -

Three other people will be co-opted to the steering committee. The meeting increased the affiliation fees for open graded teams in 1988 from $95 a team to $139, but the coaching and tours levies remained unchanged. Mr\COUltor was elected presideht .bf tiie association |n what wifi probably be its last .year of existence. He had been acting president. since ' June this year when Mr Ron Jones of Auckland died. The . meeting P aid tribute to: Mr. Jones and three' other members of the association: "who died during' tiie year. They were the former national coach, Mr Brian Maunsell of Whangarei; - Mr Bob Milne of a life member and former chairman 6f the management Committee; and Mr Gary - of Christchurcti, d member of the management, ’ committee. Officers: elected were: S|r‘ Paul Reeves; ‘(president, ’^/Coulter; vlce-;-presidanis;' MF/G/ Miskimmin VfWelllngton), Mr-B. Marshall ; ?iAircki£md)t<Ti/management committee, 7* ar? Penfold, /'Messrs Cpi, W. Doak, R. < R, Gillespie, L. Haste, D. Hefford: aod 9. Spence.