SELECTION OF TEAMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 7

SELECTION OF TEAMS

The need in the coming year for plans being laid to ensure New Zealand being' adequately represented by the best talent available in the country at the Empire Games in Sydney in February, 1938, was referred to by Mr. H. I. Austad at the annual meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A. It was also necessary, he suggested, that consideration be given to the methods of selection.

Mr. A. C. Kitto, president of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre, when referring to the non-success of New Zealand's athletes at the Berlin Olympic Games, apart from Lovelock, also dealt with the subject of the selection' of teams and advocated that more trials should be' held before athletes are chosen to represent the Dominion overseas. He suggested the holding of North and South Island trials and then the bringing of the men together. "I think something like this will have to be done," said Mr. Kitto, "because in my opinion a man continually running against his club mates in his own centre does not improve like the man who has the opportunity of competing against the champions from other districts.".

There is wisdom in what Mr. Kitto says, and it should be possible when athletes are required to represent New Zealand overseas, as will be the case in 1938, to arrange for a system of trial meetings, which, with picked athletes competing, should be capable of producing returns to cover travelling and other expenses. A fine meeting on these lines was held in connection with the selection of the New Zealand team for the 'Melbourne Centenary Games. At the time it was agreed that it was an excellent meeting and one which gave candidates for the team every opportunity of showing their true calibre.