FINE OFFERS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 147, 24 June 1933, Page 10

FINE OFFERS

NEW ZEALAND TEAM

BRITISH EMPIRE GAMES

A DEPOSIT OF £1000

Advice has been received by the New Zealand Olympic Association that the next British Empire Games are to be held in England in 1934, from August 3 to August 11, and that the British Empire Games Council for England is prepared to give assistance up to £1000 towards the cost of sending a New Zealand team. In a letter, Mr. Evan A. Hunter, secretary of tho British Empire Games Council for England, states that his council is prepared'to' deposit in London a sum not exceeding £1000 towards the steamship passages of a New Zealand team. Further.than that, the council in England is prepared to house free of charge the complete New Zealand team during the period of the Games and for a short period of training beforehand. * * ■ These splendid offers, which were before the executive,of the New Zealand Olympic Games Association last night', no doubt will ensure New Zealand representation at tho Games. Interest from the £13,000 trust .fund had to be hypothecated to complete the financial arrangements for New Zealand's reprer sentation at the Olympic Games at Los Angeles last year, and it is not likely that any money will be available from this source in 1934. ,As a matter of fact, at the meeting the British Empire Games Federation last year, largely on the score of the expenditure involved, the New Zealand Association urged that tho Empire Games should be held once every four years, either just before or after the Olympic Games. The suggestion received no support. It was realised, though, that New Zealand carried a heavy financial burden in endeavouring to send adequate representation across the world for the Olympic Games and also the Empire Games, and Mr. P. N. Bundle, manager of the New Zealand Olympic Games team, draws attention in his report to the fact that the federation hoped to ease some of the burden so far as the Empire Games are concerned.

POSITION MADE EASIER. It is now felt by the executive of the New Zealand Olympic Association that the offers from England n_ake the position very much easier. Under such circumstances the cost per man will not be very great, but the Olympic Association does not intend to trench further on the trust fund to meet the expenses. A copy of the letter from England is to be sent to each of. the national associations affiliated", to the Olympic Association, and it will be pointed out to them that either they or the athletes themselves will have to put up the money. In view, of the J generous assistance the council in England is prepared1 to give, it iii hoped j that the national associations will give their wholehearted' co-operation to the Olympic Association's proposal. It is , intended that *~the programme for the Empire Games should include athletics and. swimming for men and women, and bowling, boxing, cycling, and wrestling for men only. According to the "British Olympic Journal," it is hoped that, the track and field events will be held at the White City Stadium, London. The venues for the other sports have not yet been decided, but it is stated as probable that the swimming and cycling, contests will he held in some other part of the country, thereby spreading the interest in the Games.