THE FATHER OF SPORT

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 37, 12 August 1921, Page 11

THE FATHER OF SPORT

WELCOME TO MR. R. COOMBES

A very representative meeting of Wellington sportsmen and those interested in all branches of amateur athletics was held in the Chamber of Commerce this week to bid welcome to Mr. R- Coombes, president of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia and New Zealand, or, much' less officially, the father of all sport in Australasia. The Mayor, Mr. E. A. Wright, M.P., took the chair and extended' the heartiest welcome to Mr. Coombes. The sporting community of New Zealand knew much of Mr. Coombes, -and all they knew was to his credit. He had made sport, clean sport, the hobby of his life, and though he had many ■ personal friends, he had yet very many more whom he had not met and might not know as personal friends; Mr. A. T. Davies, president of the N.Z.A.A.A., also spoke of the guest's good work in the cause of amateur athletics. Mr. Coombes had done indeed great work in advancing inter-, national amateur athletics, and for twenty-five years had jointly represented New Zealand and Australia on. the Olympic Council, a record to be proud of. New Zealand now had separate representation, but Mr. Coombes still represented Australia" on the council. Mr. G. S. Hill, New Zealand's representative upon the Olympic Council, thanked Mr. Coombes particularly for his work on behalf of New Zealand's representatives prior to the Dominion's obtaining a sound constitution. He did not think that there was any likelihood of the Olympic gathering being held nearer New Zealand than America for many years unless New Zealand and Australia worked in hearty co-operation with that aim in view. Mr. Hill 'also extended a welcome from the. amateur swimmers of the Dominion. Mr. T. S. Ronaldson, one of the old, sports, said that perhaps there was a> tendency to make rather too much of a business bf sport, but co long as such, a man as Mr. Coombes was at the helm .amateur sport would be all right. His opinion was that professional 6port should be under the control of amateur associations, and if that could be brought about professional sport would be so much the cleaner. * ! Sir John Luke, on behalf of the 1 young people of New Zealand generally, also! Bpoka highly of the guest's good work. , Sports for young people was of paramount importance from the physical and the health point of view. New Zealand's representatives at the Olympic games had done exceedingly well, considering the disadvantage Tinder which they had laboured «» a, wsnlt of thsir late arrival, and to them New Zealand j owed a debt of gratitnde for the high standing which they had given New^ Zealand's name. Mr. CJ Gk- Wilson, as chairman of the Wellington Cricket Association, Mr. A. G. Bayneld, on behalf of the oarsmen of the Dominion, Mr. A. W. 0. Trovers,' representing the Wellington Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A., Mr._H."Marshall, vicepresident of the Dominion Rifle Association, Mi. B: Keestng, as representative of the Laiwn Tennis Association, Mr. W. Auld, president of th© Wellington Football Association, Mr. "W. H. Bennett, on behalf of the cross-country runners, also bade welcome to Mr. Coombes. FUTURE INTERCOLONIAL. CHAMPIONSHIPS. ' Mr. Coombes, after thanking tho speakers for their kindly expressions* of welcome, said that he doubted if he truly deserved those remarks, for, after all, he had merely done what any man with the same environment and a little goodfortune would have done. Primarily, he had come ' to New Zealand—for the fifteenth .time—in connection with a coursing meeting at Hamilton, and that branch of Bport, he believed, was in need of a helping hand' in the Dominion. Speaking himself as a sporisma.n, he would say that no man could be master of all sports—he was a miserable cricketer, probably one of the v"cry worst footballers,, a poor hand with the billiard cue, and no better with a tennis racket— and so he had confined his activities to a few branches of athletics, among which were rowing, cross-country running, and amateur athletics as generally understood in the narrower sense.

Mr. Coombes recalled incidents of forty years ago in Australia and New Zealand, and then turned to the questions of the future. He had noticed a. tendency in the circle of sport, as in all matters, to look upon New Healand. as "New Zealand the Nation." The Dominion was a growing country, and the feeling was but natural, and, fore, he felt that the time was coming when a different procedure would have to be followed in the arranging of championships between Australia, and New Zealand. ' At present New Zealand had to send six teams $o Australia to Australia's one to the- Dominion, and it seemed to him that ( the financial handicap upon the Dominion was very' great. At no distant time, he believed, the championship; would be fought out between Australia and New Zealand, and not between New Zealand and each of the several States of the Federation. Thus New Zealand would send a teafi against all Australia, once every fou' years, and Australia would, return the visit in the alternate biennial period.

"If there is anything I oa.n do directly or indirectly in some shape or'form, to advance the interests of sport in any department, command my services, and I will do what I can to the last ditch," said Mr. Coombes, and then, speaking with feeling, said that the memory o! the welcome given him would never be effaced from his memory.

Three hearty cheers were given, and the meeting closed with the singing of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." :