FAREWELL TO TEAM

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 222, 15 June 1932, Page 11

FAREWELL TO TEAM

Governer-General’s Letter to Members ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR “Godspeed on your journey, good luck in the Games, and a safe homecoming,” said the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A Hislop, yesterday in the course of a civic farewell to the New Zealand Olympic team. The assembly took place at midday in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall, the room being packed to overflowing. A letter from the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, to Mr. H. Amos, chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association, was read. His Excellency stated that as patron of the association he desired most sincerely to wish the team a pleasant voyage and the best of luck. “The team I understand is a strong one in quality as well as in quantity,” the letter proceeded, “and comprises seven athletes, three boxers, and twelve oarsmen, all of whom are in good condition and training. Thie, I feel sure: they will do their utmost to maintain and improve and use their best efforts to gam the highest credit both for themselves and for this Dominion in the forthcoming world tests of athletic prowess. Reputation For Sportsmanship. “New Zealand’s reputation for athletic achievement and good sportsmanship already stands high among the nations of the world, and we are all proud of the fact and eager that it be enhanced, at the forthcoming struggles for international pre-eminence. “The notable performance of the Dominion’s crew at Hamilton (Ontario) in 1930 and the recent achievements of (among others), Lovelock, Savidan, and Elliott, as runners, of Foubister on the cycling track, and of Purdie w’ith the gloves, have raised high the hope of their many well-wishers that the outstanding glory of an Olympic victory will fall to one or more of New Zealand’s competitors this year. . / . , , . “But, whether they win or lose, let them all bear in mind that the main object of the Games is ‘ f to promote a feeling of greater comradeship among the nations of the world through the medium of sport and that —to use the words of that grand old French sportsman, Baron de Coubertin, who revived the Olympic Games in 1896—‘the main issue in life is not the victory, but the fight, and the main essential is not to have won but to have fought well.’ “I shall watch with intense personal interest the cabled reports of. the Olympic competitions and no one in the Dominion will more heartily welcome the good news of our representatives’ successes.” “Done Extraordinarily Well.” In opening his speech, the Mayor said that New Zealand had been represented at the Olympic Games since 1908 and small .and distant though the country was from the great centres, her athletes had done extraordinarily welL The modern Olympic Games, he continued, were instituted by the Baron de Coubertin, well-known French sportsman, in 1896, the first Games being held at Athens. Since then there had been eight others—ln Paris in 1900. in St Louis In 1904, in London in 1908. in Stockholm in 1912, in Antwerp in 1920, in Paris in 1924, and in Amsterdam in 1928, when Edward Morgan, of Wellington, had secured for the Dominion her first Olympic championship by winning the welterweight boxing. During the last 10 years the champions of between 40 and 50 countries had been competing and if the representatives of any country got into the finals was considered an outstanding achievement. In 1908 Kerr reached the final of the walk; in 1912, Champion was a member of a winning team; in 1920 three of the members —namely. Davidson, Wilson and Miss Waldron — reached the finals. In 1924 all three representatives reached the finals, and Dr. Arthur Porritt put up a remarkable performance in finishing third to Harold Abraham, the Englishman, in the final of the 100 metres. Well Trained and Prepared. “To-day,” proceeded the Mayor, “New Zealand is sending away her biggest team to date. As to whether it is the best in quality I would not dare to say—l will leave that question for discussion among veterans—but I do feel confident that this team is going as well trained and prepared as their predecessors, and with the same spirit. They carry with them the reputation of the country, and I am confident they will carry it safely, soundly, and well.” Turning to the members of the team, the Mayor said: “We don’t care whether you win or not. All we want is that you shall fight well and hard and uphold New Zealand’s reputation for clean, hard living. Thgt is the reputation gained for New Zealand In Eur-ope-built up by the New Zealand troops, and carried on by the various teams that have gone overseas. Now the reputation is handed over to your care.” (>u behalf of the Government the Hon; R. Masters apologised for the absence of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes. No man in New Zealand, he said, would have had greater pleasure In being present than Mr. Forbes because he had been a keen athlete and still took a great interest in athletics. Credit to Organisation. It was a credit to the Olympic organisation in New Zealand that the Dominion was to be represented this year by a team of record size, representing practically every branch of sport in New Zealand. Further, for the first time the country was to be represented by an official. The appointment of Nir. T. W. Leslie as starter was one of which the community could be proud, and on behalf of the Government he wished to express his appreciation of it. The members of the team would meet representatives of the other nations on a common ground. It was an experience that came to few more than once In a lifetime, and they would return the bigger and the better for it. He wished them a pleasant, successful trip and hoped they would chip a few seconds* off existing records. “But,” he added, “remember that the outcome of the battle is of no importance. The question is. how did you fight t Would Give of Their Best. In replv to the Mayor and to Mr. Masters, Mr. P. N. Rundle, manager of the team, said they were going to the United States to meet the representatives of about 40 other nations. He could assure bis hearers I hat the New Zealand athletes would give of their best. Sportsmanship was one of the ideals of the Olympic Games, and this came naturally to British peoples. Some nations were not so fortunate. They had come late into the athletic field and they looked to British representatives to give them a lead. He was sure that the 1932 team from the Dominion would uphold its traditions. Mr. Arnos thou Introduced each member of the team, and the singing of the National Anthem marked th® close of