EMPHATIC DENIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1933, Page 20

EMPHATIC DENIAL

ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

WAIRARAPA REPORT

Tho authenticity of certain statements in a report from the Wairarapa regarding tho extent of representation at the Wellington provincial amateur athletic and cycling championships in Wellington on February 25, is challenged by officials of tho Wellington Centre, N.Z.A.A.A. Whilo the decision of the Wairarapa Sub-ecntro not to send a team occasioned no great surprise, the centre anticipates strong representation from other districts Under its jurisdiction. In view of the stats of athletics in tho Wairarapa at the present time, said Mr. A. C. Kitto, president of the Wellington Centre, the decision o.f that sub-centre not to be officially represented was not surprising. __t was expected, however, that several athletes from the Wairarapa would be competing individually at the provincial championship meeting. Th© report from Masterton that the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Sub-centre was not sending a team to Wellington was givon an emphatic denial by Mr. Kitto, as. well as by Mr. C. Willis (centre secretary). No information regarding the sub-centre's intention to withdraw from, competition at tho championships had been received; in fact, some little time ago both the president and the secretary of the Wellington Centre were informed by Mr. N. McKenzie and other Hawke's Bay officials that a strong team would be sent to Wellington. The optimism of those-officials waa such that they were looking forward to their representatives going one better this timo '.- and winning tho MeVilly Shield. Since then nothing had occurred to cause the enthusiasm over Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay prospects of strong representation at the provincial championships to wane. The latest report from Hawke's Bay is that tha preliminary selection of the subcentre team was made'after a. sports meeting held last Saturday. There are some difficulties in the matter of financing the team, but it is hoped that theso will be overcome. As to the -suggestion, again from the Wairarapa, that the MeVilly Shield would be competed for solely by Wellington and Petone athletes, Mr. Kitto stated that this was just'as erroneous as the ' report about Hawke's BayPoverty Bay dropping out. The Wellington Centre had received advice from Marlborough and Motueka that , athletes from those districts would be competing. Tho following team has been selected to represent Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay: —Women's section: Misses N. Wilson, G. Symes, M. Lean, R. Tong, and M. Turton, the first four to make up the relay team and run in that order. Men's section: T. Campbell and C. "Sutton (cyclists), E. Steere, W. Campbell, R. Johnson, G. Phillips, H. Chadwick, H. Nairn, Thomson, F. Sharpley, A. Preston, A. Milne, R." Calnan, and I. Driscoll. Algie, Bickerstaff, Quinn, J. Holdernes's, and M. Gane are also in the rnnning for places in the team. The inclusion of Holderness and Gane depends npon whether difficulties in regard to accommodation are overcome.