NOTABLE PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 284, 28 August 1935, Page 2

NOTABLE PROGRESS

Advance of Basketball In New Zealand

OVER 10,000 PLAYERS

Remarkable progress has been made by basketball over the past decade, so that there is hardly a town in the country to-day in which the game is uot played. The Basketball Association, which is at present holding its annual conference and tournament in V ellington, calculates that, excluding hundreds of primary and secondary school participants there are over 10,000 girls playing under its jurisdiction in New Zealand.

Nine years ago, when the first national tournament was held, six teams competed. Twenty-three teams are entered for the present tournament, embracing districts from North Auckland to Southland. The New Zealand association, in fact, has found it necessary to restrict the number of entries so that the tournament will not become unwieldy. Figures illustrate convincingly the rapid advance in popularity the game has made. In 1924 the following associations were affiliated, with the stated number of teams: Otago 39. Wellington 31, Canterbury 18, ami Auckland 24. Now the affiliations are: Wellington 184, Southland 107, Canterbury 100, Auckland 90. Otago 73, Hawke’s Bay 64, Taranaki 68. South Canterbury 62, North Auckland 50, Manawatu 48. Waikato 43, West Coast 40, PovertyBay 34, Ashburton 32, Wairarapa 22, Marlborough 15, Wairoa 10, RotoruaBay of Plenty 12, Nelson 11, Bush 10, Wanganui 19, Buller 17. In Canterbury the number of .teams has increased from 22 to 100 in the period and in Southland the total has risen from 15 to 107. Wellington’s growth in a decade has been from 60 to 184 teams. In South Canterbury there has been a noticeable development, for whereas the number of teams in 1929 was 11 it is now 62. Taranaki had only seven teams in 1928, but now boasts 68. Manawatu’s growth has also been considerable, its 19 teams of 1929 having increased to 48 for 1935. Generally speaking, in fact, the progress of the game has been more noteworthy in the provinces than in the centres. In North Auckland, for instance, there are now 50 teams, though there were only six in 1932. The West Coast had only 19 teams last year, but there are now 40 in Greymouth, Reefton and Hokitika. Waikato registered only 18 teams two years ago, but this year has 43.

Basketball is considered an ideal outdoor or indoor game for. girls, as it requires the use of the whole body, not exercising one set of muscles to the detriment, of another. An advantage of the game is that it is played on a small court, so that it caters for a large number of players without great expehse.

Seventy delegates attended the annual conference yesterday and the players present for the tournament number nearly 300.

N.Z. CONFERENCE

New Basis of Control

Reorganisation pf basketball control was decided upon at the annual conference in Wellington yesterday of delegates of associations affiliated to the New Zealand Basketball Association. It was decided that, for the purposes of the annual tournament, the territory of the association should be divided into the following districts: North Auckland, Auckland, Waikato, Rotorua-Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wellington. MarlboroughNelson, West Coast-Buller, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. An appeal that a separate district be formed for South Canterbury was not adopted by the conference. West Coast and Buller districts asked for a division of their area into two, but withdrew this proposal when it was decided to amalgamate Marlborough and Nelson.

The main reason for the amalgamation of districts was that it was desired to keep entries for the annual tournament within manageable limits and it was agreed that existing associations within the new districts unite in sending teams to the tournament, each union to be entitled to ented up to three teams, depending on the number playing in the united district, the basis being one tournament team for each 75 teams in the district.

The representation at the tournament was defined, it being arranged that the -present major associations should compete in the first grade and any other teams from a union in the second.

Each association having 10 teams or more was granted the right to send two delegates to the meetings of the New Zealand council, any association not having the right to direct representation being allowed to allocate its votes to another association, any two associations having the right to amalgamate for the purpose of obtaining representation.

Proposals that Invercargill or Auckland should be the headquarters of the association were withdrawn,' both associations indicating that they desired the headquarters to remain in Wellington Several alterations were made in rules. It was agreed to give referees the right to stand a player off for part of a game in the event of objectionable play where it was thought that ordering off for the remainder of the game was too drastic. Provisions that a player kneeling or lying on the ground should not attempt to gain possession of the ball and that a player deliberately falling on the ball be penalised were incorporated. It was laid down that where a player did not re-enter the court where the ball crossed the line after throwing-ln the penalty should be an unguarded throw-in. It was also decided that in any national tournament or representative match the score should be plainly written on a blackboard as each goal was scored. The annual report referred with pleasure to the progress of the game all over New Zealand. The New Zealand Basketball Referees’' Association had been established. The popularity of representative fixtures was increasing, practically al lassociatious having successful fixtures. Poverty Bay and Waikato had been regraded to the first grade and Rotorua had become a full member of the association. The balance of accumulated funds amounted to £382. The report and balance-sheet were adopted after appreetat'on had been expressed by delegates of the adtnlni stratlon of the New Zealand council. Both Canterbury and Southland applied for the tournament next year, which was granted to Canterbury. North Auckland, Auckland, Waikato, Rotorua, Poverty Bay, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Bush, Manawatu, Taranaki, Wa-

nganui. Wairarapa. Wellington. Nelson. Marlborough. Buller. West Coast, Nelson, Canterbury, Ashburton, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland delegates were present. Mrs. H. D. Muir, of Wellington, president of the New Zealand association, presided. The conference will be resumed this evening.

OFFICIAL OPENING To-day’s Matches Iler Excellency Lady Galway will officiate at the opening ceremony of the New Zealand Basketball Association s ninth Dominion tournament this afternoon, when 23 teams, including nearly 300 players from all over New Zealand, will parade and march past. The openin" will take place at the Mount Cook School courts. Buckle Street, at 2.30 p.m., but a number of matches will take place during the morning. Play will continue throughout the week, the tournament concluding on Saturday. In the event ot wet weather, the games will be transteired to the Show Buildings, and possibly the Drill Hall. Trophies will be presented at au official dinner on Saturday night. , , The following matches are to take place to-dav:-— Marlborough v. Manawatu. Auckland v. Waikato. Wellington Minor v. Wairarapa. 9 a.m.; M a.roa y. Southlaud Minor. Wellington v. Hawkes Bay. South Canterbury v. West Coast. 9.0.> a.m.; Ashburton v. Bush. I overty Bay v. Southland. Wanganui v. Nelson. 10.50 a.m.; North Auckland v. Marlborough. Canterburv v. Otago. Rotorua v. Taranaki 11.45 a.m.; Southland Minor v. Bu«h Hawke’s Bay v. Southland, Wairarapa v. South Canterbury. 1.15 p.m.; Wellington v. Auckland. laranaki v. Wellington Minor, 3 p.m.; Ashburton v. Wairoa. Canterbury v. Poverty Lay, West Coast v. Wanganui, 4 p.m.